A Haines resident was airlifted by the Coast Guard to Sitka Tuesday after sustaining injuries related to a seizure.
The 38-year old man had a seizure while driving and lost control of his car. According to the Haines Volunteer Fire Department, his vehicle ended up in a ditch on Front Street behind the Delta Western Tank Farm. The man was alone when the accident occurred. No one else was harmed during the crash.
Haines emergency responders were notified of the accident by phone just after 10 a.m. Southeast Regional Health Consortium staff treated the driver at the local clinic until it was determined he needed advanced medical care.
Guardian Flight was contacted to medevac the man from Haines. Due to bad weather, the plane could not land, and the Coast Guard was contacted for assistance.
A Jayhawk helicopter departed air station Sitka bound for Haines at 4 p.m and returned to Sitka with the driver by 8 p.m. According to Coast Guard Public Affairs Specialist Nate Littlejohn, Coast Guard medics provided cardiac life support to the driver.
The 38-year-old Haines resident was transported to Mt. Edgecumbe Hospital in Sitka for treatment.