KODIAK, Alaska – A Coast Guard Air Station Sitka MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew medevaced a woman from the cruise ship Island Spirit near Pavlof Harbor, Alaska, Sunday.
The Jayhawk crew safely hoisted the 76-year-old woman from the Island Spirit at 9 p.m., and transported her to emergency medical personnel in Juneau, who then took her to Bartlett Medical Center.
Coast Guard Sector Juneau Command Center watchstanders received a request from the Island Spirit at 8:10 p.m., stating the woman had fallen down some stairs and severely injured her leg. A Coast Guard flight surgeon recommended a medevac.
“Our Coast Guard rescue swimmers are all at a minimum emergency medical technicians, if not at the paramedic level,” said Lt. Joseph Reitmeyer, Sector Juneau command duty officer. “During the medevac, an aviation survival technician and flight corpsman successfully provided superb care to this woman so the risk of shock was reduced. The woman was able to receive higher level medical treatment due to the expert training and swiftness of our aircrew.”
Weather on-scene at the time of the hoist was rain, 7-mph winds and 2-foot seas. Pavlof Harbor is approximately 37 miles southwest of Juneau, Alaska.