REGION — Four separate passengers were evacuated by U.S. Coast Guard helicopter crews based in San Diego from three separate cruise ships off the Southern California coast during a 24-hour period beginning Friday night.
At 7:10 p.m. Friday, a 47-year-old woman suffering from a progressive acute illness was hoisted off the cruise ship Carnival Panorama, 100 miles south of San Diego, according to the Coast Guard.
The Coast Guard 11th District Rescue Coordination Center in Alameda received a medevac request from the captain of the cruise ship, which was 165 miles south of San Diego. It and an MH-60 Jayhawk aircrew from Coast Guard Sector San Diego rendezvoused 100 miles south of the city. The woman was taken to Scripps Memorial Hospital in San Diego in serious condition.
At 10:20 p.m. that night, a 74-year-old woman suffering from stroke-like symptoms and a 77-year-old woman suffering from kidney failure were hoisted off the cruise ship Majestic Princess.
Both of those passengers had a medical evacuation within 12 to 14 hours. At the time of the request, the cruise ship was about 500 miles west of Los Angeles. An MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew met the ship at about 10 a.m. Saturday, 150 miles southwest of Point Conception. Both patients were transferred to Scripps Memorial Hospital.
At 12:20 p.m. Saturday, an 84-year-old woman suffering from symptoms related to a stroke was hoisted off the cruise ship Carnival Spirit, about 86 miles west of San Clemente Island.
Coast Guard Sector Los Angeles Long Beach notified Joint Harbor Operations Center San Diego of a medevac request from the ship. The helicopter crew that was completing the medevac of the two passengers off the Majestic Princess was diverted to the Carnival Spirit. The woman was transported to emergency medical services at Coast Guard Sector San Diego.
The Coast Guard rescue 6019 aircrew flew more than seven hours between the three medical evacuations on Saturday.
