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Press Release | Feb. 7, 2023

Coast Guard medevacs 2 passengers from cruise ships near the Dominican Republic

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — Coast Guard aircrews conducted a medevac of a Symphony of the Seas cruise ship passenger Monday and a second medevac of a Celebrity Edge cruise ship passenger Sunday in the Atlantic Ocean near the Dominican Republic.

During Monday’s medevac, a Coast Guard Air Station Borinquen MH-60T Jayhawk aircrew hoisted an 18-year-old male, U.S. citizen, from the Symphony of the Seas cruise ship, with an abdominal medical emergency that required a higher level of care ashore.

Coast Guard watch standers in Sector San Juan received communication from the cruise ship Sunday evening, requesting Coast Guard assistance to transport a passenger to a local hospital. Watch standers directed the launch of a Coast Guard Air Station Borinquen MH-60T Jayhawk helicopter that rendezvoused with the cruise ship, approximately 150 nautical miles northwest of Aguadilla, Puerto Rico.  The aircrew deployed their rescue swimmer aboard the cruise ship to conduct a litter hoist and bring the patient, his mother, and cruise ship nurse safely aboard the aircraft.

During Sunday’s medevac, the crew of a Coast Guard Air Station MH-60T Jayhawk hoisted a 79-year-old male, U.S. citizen, from the Celebrity Edge cruise ship with an abdominal medical emergency that required a higher level of care ashore.

Coast Guard watch standers in Sector San Juan received communication from the cruise ship Sunday afternoon, requesting Coast Guard assistance to transport a passenger to a local hospital. Watch standers directed the launch of a Coast Guard Air Station Borinquen MH-60T Jayhawk helicopter that rendezvoused with the cruise ship, approximately 140 nautical miles north northwest of Aguadilla, Puerto Rico. The aircrew deployed the aircraft rescue swimmer aboard the cruise ship to conduct a litter hoist and bring the patient and cruise ship nurse safely aboard the aircraft.

In both cases, the Coast Guard aircrews transported the medevac’d passengers to the Fernando Luis Ribas Dominicci Regional Airport in San Juan, Puerto Rico, where awaiting emergency medical personnel received them and completed their transport to the ‘Centro Medico’ Hospital in San Juan.

"The fact that we were able to get to these patients that far out to sea, and get them the acute medical care they needed, is a testament to the professionalism of the cruise ship personnel and a superb example of the Jayhawk's operational range," said Capt Lawrence Gaillard, Coast Guard Air Station Borinquen commanding officer." The coordination with the ship's crew and medical personnel was seamless, preventing a potentially dangerous situation from escalating. I'm extremely happy we could take care of these people and proud of everyone involved."

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-USCG-