SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — A Coast Guard MH-60T Jayhawk crew medevacked a Celebrity Apex cruise ship passenger, approximately 24 nautical miles north of Arecibo, Puerto Rico, Thursday morning.
A 65-year-old man suffered from multiple medical conditions which required the patient to receive a higher level of care at a land-based hospital. At the time of the medical emergency, the Celebrity Apex was transiting from St. Kitts to Port Canaveral Florida.
“I'm proud of the teamwork that resulted in a successful patient transport from the Celebrity Apex to a higher level of care,” said Lt. Alberto Raymond, Coast Guard MH-60T Jayhawk aircraft co-pilot for the case. “Thank you to the crews of the Celebrity Apex, our team in San Juan, and Air Station Borinquen. All our training is for moments like this, and I'm grateful we could help save a life.”
Coast Guard watchstanders at Sector San Juan received a communication from the Celebrity Apex cruise ship at 1:37 a.m., Thursday, requesting a medevac for the patient. After carefully assessing potential risks and hazards and the patient’s information, vital signs and time-to-care considerations, the medevac request was granted and arranged to take place at sunrise.
Coast Guard watchstanders directed the launch of a Coast Guard MH-60T Jayhawk helicopter from Air Station Borinquen, which rendezvoused with the Celebrity Apex cruise ship. Once overhead, the aircrew deployed their rescue swimmer aboard the cruise ship to assess the situation and work with cruise ship personnel to prepare for the medevac. The Coast Guard aircrew lowered a rescue litter to the cruise ship deck that was utilized to hoist the patient, and they also used a rescue basket to hoist the patient’s wife onboard the aircraft.
Once the aircrew recovered their rescue swimmer, the patient and his wife were transported to the Fernando Luis Ribas Dominicci Airport in San Juan, Puerto Rico, where they were received by awaiting Emergency Medical Service personnel and transported to the Centro Medico Hospital in San Juan.