MIAMI- Crewmembers from Coast Guard Air Station Clearwater, Fla., medevaced a 59-year-old woman at about 1:30 p.m., and a 67-year-old women at about 2:15 p.m., Saturday, from the 936-foot cruise ship Zuiderdam and the 950-foot cruise ship Carnival Freedom, both homeported in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
Search-and-rescue coordinators at the Seventh Coast Guard District command center in Miami received a call at 7:45 a.m., Saturday, from cruise ship officials aboard the Zuiderdam reporting a passenger suffering from abdominal pain. At around 8:30 a.m., watch standers received a second call from the cruise ship Carnival Freedom reporting a passenger suffering from abdominal pain.
The aircrew of Coast Guard Rescue 6029, and HH-60 Jayhawk helicopter, arrived on scene at approximately 1:30 p.m., and lowered a rescue swimmer to the Zuiderdam to hoist the patient. At approximately 2:30 p.m. the same aircrew arrived on scene with the Carnival Freedom and safely hoisted the second patient and a cruise ship nurse to the helicopter. Both patients were transported to the Lower Keys Medical Center in Key West, Fla. Both woman are reported to be in stable condition.
