Coast Guard Rescues Possible Heart Attack Victim from a Fishing Vessel Off the Coast of Mass.

The U.S. Coast Guard recently rescued a maritime worker who was experiencing symptoms of a possible heart attack while on a fishing vessel about 60 miles southeast of Nantucket, Mass. The 46-year-old’s symptoms included severe chest pains, heavy breathing, and tingling, clammy hands, prompting his shipmates to contact the Coast Guard for assistance. A Coast Guard helicopter transported the man to a hospital in Cape Cod.

Unfavorable sea conditions and the boat’s rigging prevented the helicopter crew from being able to lower a rescue swimmer down to assist the man, and they instead had to lower a rescue basket onto the deck of the vessel. The man climbed in the basket and was lifted safely into the helicopter. Once aboard the helicopter, the man received life-saving medications while en route to the hospital.

When maritime workers are sick or injured at sea, they cannot simply call 9-1-1 to request an ambulance or hop in a car and drive to the hospital. They must rely on their fellow crewmembers and the Coast Guard in the event they need medical attention for a serious injury or illness.

Several maritime laws protect injured and sick maritime workers, including:

• Jones Act
• Longshore Act
• Maintenance and cure laws
• Unseaworthiness and defective equipment laws

Did you sustain an injury or fall ill while working in the maritime industry? A Boston maritime attorney has the requisite knowledge and experience to determine which maritime laws apply to your case and to help you obtain the full amount of compensation to which you may be entitled. Maritime law differs from general personal injury law, making it important to work with an attorney who specializes in maritime litigation.

Latti & Anderson LLP –Boston maritime trial lawyers