The Navy and Coast Guard in Hawaii teamed up to rescue a 69-year-old cruise passenger from a Princess Cruises ship 210 miles northwest of Hilo.
The medevac off Grand Princess was conducted by a Navy MH-60R Sea Hawk helicopter crew from Kaneohe Bay-based Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron 37, while a Coast Guard Air Station Barbers Point HC-130J Super Hercules long-range surveillance aircraft provided communications support.
The Easyriders transferred the passenger to Hilo Medical Center for treatment. At this time, his condition is unknown, officials said.
The mission started at 12:29 p.m. on Wednesday, January 1, when the vessel reported to Sector Honolulu watchstanders that a traveller was suffering from an abdominal ailment. Following a consultation with a duty flight surgeon, the Coast Guard agreed with the medical staff of Grand Princess and recommended a medical evacuation.
The distance from Oahu to the cruise ship required a long-range helicopter, so an HSM-37 anti-submarine MH-60R crew from Marine Corps Base Hawaii, Kaneohe Bay, agreed to tackle the mission. To cut the medevac distance, Grand Princess diverted to the Big Island while Coast Guard crews and the Navy made the rendezvous at sea.
With winds at 25 mph and seas up to 10 feet high, Sea Hawk crew hoisted the patient and transported him to medical care. At the time of the accident, the ship was on a 15-day, round-trip Hawaiian Islands cruise which departed from San Francisco CA on December 28.
For other Grand Princess accidents and incidents see at the ship's CruiseMinus page.