SITKA, Alaska — The Coast Guard medevaced a woman from a cruise ship near Kake, Tuesday.
A Coast Guard MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew from Air Station Sitka medevaced the woman who was experiencing serious health complications aboard the Ovation of the Seas in Frederick Sound near Kake. She was flown to Air Station Sitka and placed in the care of awaiting EMS, then transported to Mt. Edgecumbe Medical Center in Sitka.
Coast Guard watch standers in the Sector Juneau command center received the request for the medevac at approximately 2:15 p.m.
The aircrew launched from Sitka, along with a Coast Guard corpsman who helped administer oxygen to the patient in flight.
“When we initially received this call, we anticipated being able to hoist this woman to the helicopter in a rescue basket,”said Petty Officer 2nd Class Keith Williams, aviation survival technician on the case. “Her situation had deteriorated by the time we arrived on scene, and I immediately recognized we would need to use a rescue litter. The crew on the cruise ship was extremely helpful in preparing her for the hoist, and with their cooperation we were able to bring this woman to the care she needed in Sitka.”
The woman was alert and responsive upon arriving at the hospital, but was reported to be in critical condition.
The 1,138-foot Ovation of the Seas was headed from Skagway to Victoria, British Columbia.
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