A Coast Guard helicopter crew pulled a sick sailor off a cargo ship far from land, a good outcome for the crew member and a routine show of rescue capability in Hawaii waters.

• A 55-year-old crew member fell ill aboard a cargo ship 86 miles from the Hawaiian islands.
• An MH-65 Dolphin helicopter reached the ship and lifted the man off for medical care.
• The rescue happened far offshore, at the edge of what a short-range helicopter can reach.
• Cargo ships crossing the Pacific have no doctor aboard, so crew illness often means calling in a military airlift.

Outlook: The crew member is in medical care on shore, and the ship is expected to continue its voyage.