Tropical Storm Arthur made it difficult for the U.S. Coast Guard to rescue some sick crew members aboard a cargo ship.
While we saw red flags out on the beaches for the rough surf in places like Cocoa Beach, it was much worse further off shore.
The U.S. Coast Guard would normally use boats for water rescues but they had to call in a helicopter from Clearwater Tuesday to airlift 19 of the 21 crewmembers on a cargo ship who were suffering from symptoms of food poisoning.
“When our vessels got on scene, they looked at the wave condition and they knew the condition of the people, most of them were incapacitated, very sick," said Lt. Steven Elliot of the U.S. Coast Guard. "Having a person like that climb down a ladder on the side of a ship and try to get onto a boat in a dynamic situation with wind and waves is just not a safe call. So that’s ultimately led us to use the helicopter.”
The cargo ship named the JS Comet is based in South Korea. Elliot believes the illness was caused by bad seafood.
And while it may seem like Tropical Storm Arthur is not having much of an impact inland, Elliot said Arthur is a much different storm out on the water.
“You look around and it doesn’t look that bad but it can actually be pretty nasty on the water," Elliot said. "So we just ask that everybody pay attention to this storm.”
Brevard County Emergency Management is monitoring the storm. Some areas could receive heavy rains and gusty winds. Emergency leaders are encouraging residents to clear storm water drains and throw away any loose debris on branches from your property.