by Lacey Pfalz
Last updated: 11:05 AM ET, Mon October 7, 2024
Photograph from the U.S. Coast Guard Crown Princess Rescue. (Photo Credit: The United States Coast Guard - Hawaii Pacific)
Two men in medical distress were rescued by the U.S. Coast Guard off the coast of Cape Kumukahi in Hawaii from the Crown Princess cruise ship on Saturday, October 5.
The ship, which is sailing an over 100-day world cruise, requested medevacs from the Joint Rescue Coordination Center Honolulu on Friday, October 4, for two travelers.
According to the official release by the U.S. Coast Guard, which also provided a video recording of the event, the first man was a 70-year-old experiencing symptoms corresponding to a heart attack, while the second was an 86-year-old man experiencing internal bleeding. According to the U.S. Coast Guard, the 70-year-old is a United States national and the 86-year-old is a New Zealand national.
An aircrew flying a MH-65 Dolphin helicopter from Coast Guard Air Station Barbers Point conducted the medevacs between 9:15 a.m. and 11:35 a.m. on Saturday. Both were taken to Hilo Medical Center and are reportedly both in stable condition.
“The U.S. Coast Guard’s rigorous helicopter training program makes medevac operations like these second nature to our well-trained teams,” said Lt. Cmdr. Daniel Chase, aircraft commander for the first medevac. “Through extensive mission planning and coordination, we efficiently transported two patients to higher medical care. It's always a pleasure to help people in need.”
Princess has yet to make a formal statement on the incident.
While it’s uncommon for travelers to require a medevac from a cruise ship, it’s often considered medically necessary for serious injuries or time-sensitive emergencies, especially when there is no port nearby prepared for entry. In May, a passenger onboard the Carnival Venezia had to be airlifted from the ship 350 nautical miles from the U.S. mainland, this time by an Air Force Rescue Team.
Yet cruise ships are no strangers to emergencies: besides the uncommon medevacs, they’re also trained to respond to other ships’ distress calls, prompting them to rescue. In May this year, the Carnival Radiance did just that, saving 25 people stranded off the Pacific Coast of Mexico.
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