A Coast Guard helicopter rescued a man suffering from an irregular heartbeat on Shell Oil's arctic drill ship, the Noble Discover, in Norton Sound on Wednesday, according to the Coast Guard.

The 514-foot ship was 68 miles west of Nome when its crew called for help about 4 a.m. Wednesday, according to a written statement from the Coast Guard, which sent a helicopter to the ship. About 7:50 a.m., the MH-65 Dolphin helicopter took off from the deck of the Alex Haley, a Coast Guard cutter anchored in Nome, and set down on the drill ship's landing pad about 30 minutes later. The 59-year-old man was escorted aboard and flown to Nome, where a LifeMed air ambulance flew him on to a hospital in Anchorage, the Coast Guard said.

Reach Casey Grove at casey.grove@adn.com or 257-4589.