A Coast Guard helicopter crew medevacked an ailing mariner from a vessel near Cold Bay Monday evening.

The Coast Guard got the medevac request from the 158-foot fishing vessel Arica after a crewman complained of severe abdominal pain.

Coast Guard Petty Officer Grant DeVuyst says the crew hoisted the man aboard the MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter in their rescue basket.

"The hoist is what happens when we don't have a surface asset, or if there's not time for a fishing vessel or whatever kind of vessel to make it into port," DeVuyst says. 

The Air Station Kodiak helicopter and crew are stationed in Cold Bay for the fishing season. They've been there for the past couple of months. DeVuyst says the Coast Guard deploys groups from Kodiak to be on hand for rescues during the peak fishing times.

"The Bering Sea, the Gulf of Alaska -- very huge bodies of water, but that's why the helicopter's already there," he says. "There's such an increase in the number of fishing vessels out there, you're more likely to see accidents happening with more vessels, of course, so we're able to get on scene quickly and get them back to care."

DeVuyst says the medevac was wrapped up by about 7:30 Monday evening. The mariner traveled from Cold Bay to Anchorage on a commercial flight. His current condition is unknown, and the Coast Guard didn't release his name.

The weather conditions were rough, but standard for winter. The Coast Guard logged seas up to 10 feet and winds up to 35 miles per hour, with visibility down to a half-mile.