The U.S. Coast Guard helped conduct a complex double airlift of cruise ship guests off the coast of Washington State.
Two Ruby Princess guests suffered separate, unrelated medical issues but were airlifted off the ship at the same time.
Joint Operation to Take Two Guests Off Princess Ship
The airlift operation took place near Cape Flattery along the Washington coast, which is just a few miles from the Canadian border. U.S. Coast Guard officials hailed the assistance it received from Canadian crews as both guests needed immediate treatment and were airlifted simultaneously.
“The expert coordination between the Canadian Coast Guard, the Life Flight Network, the Royal Canadian Air Force and the U.S. Coast Guard ensured the patients received the care they needed,” said Kelly Higgins, commanding officer of U.S. Coast Guard Air Station Port Angeles.
“This case demonstrates how our specialized expertise and dedicated training allows us to rapidly respond to these types of time-sensitive medical evacuations.”
The Ruby Princess informed the US Coast Guard on Sunday morning of two passengers requiring an airlift for immediate medical attention. A 52-year-old woman suffered cardiac arrest and was on life support. At the same time, a 99-year-old man had a blockage of the esophagus.
A Canadian Coast Guard CH-149 Cormorant helicopter was used to transport the woman off the ship, while the U.S Coast Guard helped get the man off the ship and to a Life Flight.
The woman was taken to Royal Jubilee Hospital in Victoria, BC. The man was flown to Neah Bay, Washington for treatment. The current condition of both patients is unknown.
Synchronized airlift operations like this from a single ship are rare. However, more than one helicopter is often used in airlift operations to provide cover and visual monitoring.
The Ruby Princess was sailing back from Sitka, Alaska to San Francisco at the time of the incident.
