Coast Guard Makes Dramatic Medevac Rescue of Cruise Ship Passenger

The United States Coast Guard successfully completed a dramatic rescue from a cruise ship in the Pacific Ocean.

On Thursday, emergency personnel medevaced a passenger from aboard Holland America Line’s Koningsdam The passenger, a 72-year-old man, had experienced multiple stroke episodes on Wednesday afternoon while the ship was sailing 300 miles off the coast of Kailua-Kona, Hawaii.

The Coast Guard sent an HC-130 Hercules airplane and an MH-65 Dolphin helicopter from Coast Guard Air Station Barbers Point to meet the Koningsdam when the vessel was roughly 57 miles south of Honolulu.

Crew aboard the helicopter hoisted the man from the ship and transported him to Queen’s Medical Center in Honolulu. The patient is reportedly in stable condition. 

“By combining the skills of our crews and the specialized capabilities of our aircraft, we are able to respond to emergencies across the vast Pacific region,” said Lt. Cmdr. John Stockton, HC-130 Hercules aircraft commander, Air Station Barbers Point. “Teamwork is critically important for medevacs, which are among the most time-sensitive and high-stakes missions we take on.”

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