Two Medevaced from Tanker Off Texas

MT United Ambassador. Photo: MarineTraffic.com/Valery Balalaev

The U.S. Coast Guard medevaced two crew members of a Greek-flagged tanker on Wednesday after they were struck by a flying pressurized object off the coast of Texas, the Coast Guard said.

The incident occurred Wednesday afternoon aboard the tanker United Ambassador while it was approximately 20 miles off Texas Point Wildlife Refuge off Sabine, Texas.

According to the Coast Guard the crew of the tanker notified Coast Guard watchstanders at about 2:35 p.m. reporting a 24-year-old man was struck in the head by a pressurized part causing bleeding and unconsciousness and a 42-year-old man’s nose was broken.

A 45-foot response boat and MH-65 Dolphin were sent to assess the situation and decided to transfer the man with the head injury to the helicopter and the man with the broken nose was transferred to the response boat.

The 24-year-old was taken to Christus Southeast Texas St. Elizabeth Hospital and was reportedly breathing but unconscious. The second man was taken to Coast Guard Station Sabine where EMS took him to The Medical Center of Southeast Texas in stable condition.