Maine emergency services have responded to what was reported as "mass casualty event" aboard a Celebrity Cruises ship, only to find 4 people with unrelated medical conditions that required treatment.
The Portland Press Herald reported that Celebrity Summit arrived in Portland around 9:30 a.m. on Monday, July 3. The mass casualty event has been declared because 4 people hadneeded to be transported to hospital - 2 for heart-related emergencies, 1 for pneumonia and 1 for a broken leg. The vessel was carrying about 3,000 passengers and crew.
A mass casualty is an event where the number of patients overwhelms first responders or local resources.
A port spokeswoman said it was not uncommon for cruise vessels to call for emergency responders in order to help with sick passengers.