ASTORIA, Ore. – A Coast Guard MH-60 helicopter crew from Air Station Astoria, Oregon, medevaced a woman experiencing a health emergency onboard the cruise ship Carnival Legend nearly 120 miles west of Grays Harbor, Washington, Tuesday night.
The cruise ship was transiting from Prince Rupert, British Columbia, to San Francisco, California.
At 6:00 p.m. Tuesday, watchstanders at the Coast Guard Northwest District Command Center received the medevac request from the cruise ship Carnival Legend for a 71-year-old woman experiencing a cardiac event.
The Coast Guard helicopter crew arrived on scene at 8:39 p.m. and safely hoisted the individual onboard the aircraft. The woman was transported to Air Station Astoria at 10:12 p.m. Upon arrival she was transferred by emergency medical services.
“While carrying out a critical long-range medical evacuation from a cruise ship, Coast Guard Northwest District units also stood ready to respond to the threat of a distant tsunami,” said Cmdr. Neal Corbin, commanding officer of Air Station Astoria. “Their ability to answer both calls at once is a powerful testament to the Service’s unwavering dedication to saving lives and protecting the maritime community.”
“Our units did a phenomenal job enacting a comprehensive response to a critical case over 120 miles offshore,” said Lt. Cmdr. Tahnee Zaccano, Search and Rescue Mission Coordinator for Coast Guard Northwest District Command Center. “The Command Center staff, Sector Columbia River Command Center personnel, and Air Station Astoria worked seamlessly with the cruise ship to provide care to the passenger in need.”