JUNEAU, Alaska — Coast Guard MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crews medevaced injured passengers from two separate cruise ships in Southeast Alaska and Canadian waters Wednesday and Thursday.
A helicopter crew from Coast Guard Air Station Sitka safely hoisted a passenger, who was reportedly suffering from a head injury, from the cruise ship Carnival Miracle near Queen Charlotte Island, Canada, Wednesday. Another helicopter crew from Coast Guard Air Station Kodiak, operating out of a forward operating location in Cordova, medevaced a passenger, reportedly suffering from a bowel obstruction, from the cruise ship Coral Princess near Prince William Sound in a separate incident on Thursday.
Coast Guard 17th District command center watchstanders received the medevac requests from the Canadian coast guard in Victoria, B.C. at 8 p.m. Wednesday, and the crew of the Coral Princess at 4 a.m. Thursday, and directed the Jayhawk crews to respond.
Once on-scene, the aircrews safely hoisted the ailing passengers. The passenger from the Carnival Miracle was transported to Sitka for treatment. The passenger from the Coral Princess was transported to emergency medical service personnel in Cordova.
“When we receive a request for a medevac, our first priority is to get the sick or injured to a higher level of care,” said Lt. Sarah Morin, a 17th District watchstander. “Our crews train regularly in order to conduct medevacs throughout Alaska.”
The cruise ship Carnival Princess. Photo by Flickr user Clif.
