Sick Baby On Sailboat In Pacific Draws Rescuers
SAN DIEGO (AP) — A rescue effort is underway in the Pacific after a 1-year-old child was reported ill aboard a 36-foot sailboat 900 miles southwest of Cabo San Lucas, Mexico.
A U.S. Coast Guard statement says the operator of the vessel Rebel Heart requested assistance via satellite phone at 7 a.m. Thursday, and a Coast Guard flight surgeon recommended the child be seen by medical personnel within two days.
A California Air National Guard aircraft carrying four pararescuemen was dispatched from Moffett Federal Airfield, Calif., and arrived on scene at 8 p.m. Thursday. The pararescue team provided medical aid and reported the baby was in stable condition.
The U.S. 3rd Fleet ordered the Navy frigate USS Vandegrift to assist, and the warship is expected to reach the sailboat Saturday evening.
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