SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (WFLA) — The Coast Guard released video of an intense helicopter rescue in the U.S. Virgin Islands.
An injured fisherman was stuck on slick rocks near Dog Island on Sunday morning, getting battered by rough ocean waters caused by Tropical Storm Earl. The Coast Guard said the man – who was reportedly over 50-years-old – was injured while spearfishing. His friend on a nearby boat contacted emergency responders in St. Thomas, who got in touch with the Coast Guard.
The Coast Guard sent crews by boat and helicopter. The boat crew attempted to throw a heaving line to the fisherman, but they said the 6-foot-tall waves kept them from reaching him.
The helicopter crew sent out a rescue swimmer, who landed on the rocks and helped the fisherman into a harness. The video shows the pair being pulled up into the helicopter as waves crash beneath them.
The Coast Guard said the fisherman was taken to a hospital in St. Thomas.
