VIDEO AVAILABLE: Coast Guard medevacs passenger from cruise ship 231 miles southeast of Wilmington, N.C.

News Release

U.S. Coast Guard 5th District Mid-Atlantic Contact: 5th District Public Affairs Office: (757) 398-6272 After Hours: (757) 295-8435 5th District online newsroom

VIDEO AVAILABLE: Coast Guard medevacs passenger from cruise ship 231 miles southeast of Wilmington, N.C.

Editors' Note: Click on images to download high resolution version.

WILMINGTON, N.C. — The Coast Guard medevaced a woman from a cruise ship approximately 231 miles southeast of Wilmington, North Carolina, Friday evening.

Watchstanders at the Coast Guard Fifth District command center received a medical evacuation request from crewmembers aboard the cruise ship Anthem Of The Sea, requesting assistance for an ailing woman who was reportedly suffering from internal bleeding. 

Watchstanders dispatched an MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter aircrew and an HC-130 Hercules aircrew from Coast Guard Air Station Elizabeth City.

The rescue helicopter crew arrived on-scene and hoisted the woman and a family member aboard while simultaneously the Hercules crew provided aerial coverage.

The Jayhawk aircrew then transferred the woman and her family member to New Hanover Regional Hospital in Wilmington, North Carolina.

"Launching far offshore and at night can be complex and challenging," said Chief Petty Officer Brian Gainey, operations unit watchstander at the Fifth District command center. "Cases like this demonstrate how the hard work and consistent training from our members allow us to safely carry out missions and successfully help those in need." 

 

-USCG-