The Liberian-flagged cargo vessel contacted the U.S. Coast Guard to request help for the injured sailor, but was outside the range of the organization's helicopters.
We were fortunate to have someone who spoke Russian and Ukrainian; this significantly helped communication with the ship's captain.
Two HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopters flew the mission Oct. 9 with two HC-130J Combat King II planes for in-flight refueling.
An active-duty U.S. Air Force unit at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Arizona also took part in the rescue.
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