US Coast Guard Medevacs Five Passengers Off Cruise Ships Within 24 Hours
US Coast Guard helicopter aircrews medically evacuated four separate passengers off three different cruise ships, off the southern California coast, during a 24-hour period beginning Friday night.
A 47-year-old woman, reportedly suffering from a progressive acute illness, was hoisted off the cruise ship Carnival Panorama, which was 100 miles south of San Diego. The cruise ship and an MH-60 Jayhawk aircrew from Coast Guard Sector San Diego rendezvoused 100 miles south of San Diego. The woman was transported to Scripps Memorial Hospital in San Diego in serious condition.
A 74-year-old woman, reportedly suffering from stroke like symptoms and a 77-year-old woman, reportedly suffering from kidney failure, were hoisted off the cruise ship Majestic Princess located approximately 150 miles southwest of Point Conception. At the time of the request the cruise ship was approximately 500 miles west of Los Angeles. An MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter aircrew met the cruise ship at about 10 a.m., Saturday, 150 miles southwest of Point Conception. Both patients were also transferred to Scripps Memorial Hospital.
An 84-year-old woman, reportedly suffering from symptoms related to a stroke, was hoisted off the cruise ship Carnival Spirit, which was approximately 86 miles west of San Clemente Island. The helicopter aircrew that was completing the medevac of the two passengers from the Majestic Princess were directed to divert to the Carnival Spirit upon transferring patient care to Scripps Memorial Hospital. The 84-year-old patient was transferred to emergency medical services at Coast Guard Sector San Diego.
The Coast Guard rescue 6019 aircrew flew a total of 7.2 hours between the three medical evacuations conducted Saturday.
In a separate, fifth evacuation, the Coast Guard medevaced a 76-year-old man from the Carnival Dream cruise ship Saturday approximately 300 miles offshore Fort Morgan, Alabama. The Sector Mobile watchstanders coordinated the launch of Coast Guard Aviation Training Center Mobile HC-144 Ocean Sentry and Coast Guard Air Station New Orleans MH-60 Jayhawk aircrews to assist.
The Jayhawk aircrew arrived on scene and lowered their rescue swimmer. While hoisting a cruise ship nurse, a severe squall caused the aircrew to back off from the ship. The helicopter then encountered a severe downwind, prompting the aircrew to recover the aircraft close to the water's surface. Both the Jayhawk helicopter and Ocean Sentry aircraft returned to base due to weather. A second Air Station New Orleans Jayhawk helicopter aircrew later returned to the scene, hoisted the patient and rescue swimmer, and transferred the patient to awaiting emergency medical services personnel at University Medical Center.