The U.S. Coast Guard medevaced a woman from a cruise ship in Cross Sound in southeast Alaska Sunday.
Watchstanders with the Sector Juneau command center received a call from the medical officer aboard cruise ship Zuiderdam at 5:00 p.m. Sunday requesting medevac of a 65-year-old unidentified female passenger experiencing vision loss.
(U.S. Coast Guard video edited by Petty Officer 3rd Class Ian Gray.)
The launch of an Air Station Sitka MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew was coordinated by watchstanders to help assist. The Jayhawk crew arrived on scene two and a half hours later but was unable to conduct a hoist due to a dense marine layer that reduced visibility to unsafe levels. An updated rendezvous location was conducted by the Jayhawk crew around 10:00 p.m. where the female passenger was hoisted and safely transferred to awaiting emergency medical services personnel in Sitka.
Petty Officer 2nd Class Matt Bitinas, situation unit watchstander at Sector Juneau command center said:
“This medevac worked seamlessly because of the coordination between the cruise ship, command center personnel, and helicopter crew. The level of communication and cooperation between all involved helped ensure the patient was safely transferred to the next level of care.”
The passenger was last reported in stable condition.