For the pararescuemen and aircrews of the 129th Rescue Wing, the call that came in had its challenges.
On Sept. 18, a Panamanian-flagged cargo vessel called the Grand Vega put out a distress call when a Filipino crewman began showing symptoms of a stroke. He would need immediate evacuation from the ship for treatment in a fully-equipped hospital.
That was the challenge: the Grand Vega was 700 miles off the California coast, according to the California Air National Guard, which shared details last of the mid-ocean rescue that 129th crews pulled off to reach the man. Besides the distance, weather could change and the mariner needed help quickly.