Airlifted Deputy Captain in Stable Condition
The Cypriot national who was brought to Bermuda yesterday via a US Coast Guard helicopter is resting on a general ward at King Edward Memorial Hospital, and listed as ‘stable’ as of 11:30am today [Jan 3].
The Cypriot press has reported that his father is flying to Bermuda to be with his son as he recuperates.
The 35-year-old Deputy Captain was airlifted from the Greek tanker ‘Aegean Angel’ approximately 150 miles east-northeast of the island, flown to Bermuda by the US Coast Guard, and transported away in a waiting ambulance around 11:30am yesterday. He is reported to have sustained injuries to his face and chest areas.
He, along with two others, went on deck to check the ship’s condition after going through severe weather and were hit by a large wave. The ship’s Captain Demetrios Bozonis and First Engineer Athanasios Papageorgiou, both from Greece, were tragically killed in the incident which occurred this past Thursday [Dec 30].
The helicopter had taken the joining ship’s captain and chief engineer to the ship during the outbound journey to collect the injured officer. Now that the ship has a new captain and chief engineer in place, the decision was made to bypass Bermuda and proceed to the Bahamas.
“Although the unfortunate environmental circumstances proved fatal for two crewmembers, the multi-international agency joint coordination provided exceptional support ensuring the injured crewmember received prompt medical assistance,” said Senior Chief Petty Officer Carla Harsh of the Coast Guard 5th District.
