The Barbados Defence Force (BDF) responded to a medical distress request approximately 5.8 nautical miles off of Barbados on Saturday and the patient was eventually transferred to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH).
Barbados Coast Guard personnel on board off-shore patrol vessel HMBS Leonard C. Banfield conducted a medical evacuation (MEDEVAC) of a 41-year-old male on board oil tanker, the Eagle San Juan.
The patient was assessed by the Coast Guard medical team and Port Health authorities before being transported to the (QEH) for further observations, according to a statement from the BDF.
Captain of HMBS Leonard C. Banfield, Lieutenant Shawn Hazelwood, explained that due to the size of the oil tanker, it could not berth in the Bridgetown Port.
Hazelwood said all crew members and medical teams adhered to the COVID-19 protocols. He explained that this type of operation is one of many multidisciplinary elements that the BDF trains for and executes. (PR)
