A US Coast Guard helicopter crew airlifted an 81-year-old man who suffered a medical emergency aboard the cruise ship Star Pride to Centro Médico in San Juan from about 150 nautical miles north of Puerto Rico on Monday. The crew of an MH-60T Jayhawk helicopter from Coast Guard Air Station Borinquen flew out to meet the ship around 3:00 PM, hoisted the patient and a nurse safely off the vessel, and transferred him to the hospital.
The Coast Guard said the man needed specialized medical care that could not be provided aboard the ship. The transfer request came in on Saturday around 5:00 PM, when the cruise ship was about 900 nautical miles north of Puerto Rico; over the weekend, Coast Guard personnel stayed in constant contact with the vessel and tracked the passenger’s condition.
Commander Scott Verhage, operations officer at Air Station Borinquen, said the station and Sector San Juan train constantly to reduce the risks of demanding missions such as long-distance medical evacuations, and that the goal is safe, highly efficient operations in a dynamic and unforgiving maritime environment.