A man in reported medical distress was hoisted to a helicopter from the deck of a fishing boat in north Island waters Sunday night.
The Cormorant helicopter from 442 Transport and Rescue Squadron in Comox reached the boat about 80 nautical miles west of Port Hardy around 5 p.m. A distress call from the vessel indicated a middle-aged man on board was in need of evacuation to hospital.
The man was flown to Port Hardy and was in stable condition when he was transferred to an ambulance.
Master Corp. Giles Bagley, the crew member who was lowered to the boat, said there was only a small area of the deck at which to aim. He said he got a sling around the man right away and was quickly back in the helicopter.
Capt. Pierre Faucher, the aircraft commander, said fishing boats pose a challenge when rescuers are lowered because of masts, antennae and rigging.
