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HOUSTON — The Coast Guard rescued a tanker crew member from the water 10 miles offshore Galveston, Texas, Wednesday.
Coast Guard Sector Houston-Galveston command center watchstanders received a distress call on VHF-FM channel 16 at 9:23 a.m. from personnel aboard the tanker vessel Ghibli, stating that a crew member had fallen overboard and was not wearing a life jacket.
Watchstanders issued an urgent marine information broadcast, diverted an already airborne MH-65 Dolphin helicopter crew from Coast Guard Air Station Houston and directed the launch of a 45-foot Response Boat–Medium crew from Coast Guard Station Galveston.
The helicopter crew located the man, deployed a rescue swimmer to pull him from the water, and transported him to University of Texas Medical Branch Galveston to receive further care.
The man was reportedly in stable condition.
"Wearing a life jacket is absolutely crucial," said Travis Addison, Operations Unit Controller at Sector Houston-Galveston. "It was fortunate that our helicopter crew was flying nearby. If not, this case might have ended differently."
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