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Coast Guard Rescue Off Chincoteague

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PORTSMOUTH, Va. (AP) - A Coast Guard helicopter crew has conducted a medical evacuation off the coast of Virginia after receiving an emergency alert from a fishing vessel.

Authorities say the Fifth District command center in Portsmouth received an electronic beacon alert Sunday from the 75-foot trawler Capt Nathan, about 50 miles east of Chincoteague, with three people aboard.

The Coast Guard Cutter Escanaba and a Dolphin helicopter crew from Air Station Atlantic City in New Jersey were diverted to the scene, where they learned that the captain of the trawler was suffering symptoms of a stroke.

The man was airlifted to Cape May Airport in New Jersey, then transferred to AtlantiCare Regional Medical Center in Atlantic City, New Jersey.

Don Rush is the News Director and Senior Producer of News and Public Affairs at Delmarva Public Media. An award-winning journalist, Don reports major local issues of the day, from sea level rise, to urban development, to the changing demographics of Delmarva.