KODIAK, Alaska — A Coast Guard Air Station Sitka MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew medevaced an ailing passenger from a cruise ship about four miles west of Dall Island, near the south side of Prince of Wales Island, Tuesday.
A 17th Coast Guard District watchstander received a report of a 54-year-old male aboard the cruise ship Celebrity Century suffering from heart complications and difficulty breathing.
After launching, the Jayhawk crew arrived on scene and safely hoisted the patient.
“The Coast Guard is routinely called upon to conduct medevacs from cruise ships in Alaska,” said Master Chief Petty Officer Jeremiah Roberts, a watchstander at the 17th District command center. “Our hoist-capable helicopters allow us to conduct a medevac faster than a small boat would be able to. This allows us to get patients to advanced medical care with the least amount of delay possible.”
The patient was reported in stable condition upon transfer to emergency medical personnel in Sitka.
