A Polish crew member who suffered a stroke while working on a cargo ship off the coast of Florida is preparing to return home after nearly a month of treatment at St. Mary’s Medical Center in West Palm Beach.
The U.S. Coast Guard released video from August 8 showing the rescue operation, in which a helicopter team airlifted 70-year-old Wieslaw Ostalska from a tanker vessel located about eight miles off the Treasure Coast and brought him to shore for urgent medical care.
Upon arrival at St. Mary’s Medical Center, Dr. Andrew Chang, medical director of rehabilitation, described Ostalska’s condition: “Since then, he is able to walk 200 feet without an assistive device,” Chang said. “He still needs some supervision for more advanced tasks.”
Chang also commented on the patient’s outlook: “For him, excellent,” Chang said. “I’m hopeful he will return to his job. He was an engineer prior to coming to the hospital, so I think he’ll be able to go back to his prior position.”
Expressing gratitude toward those who treated him during his recovery, Ostalska stated: “I say to them, very happy and thank you for all.”
