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Coast Guard medevacs 14-year-old from cruise ship

Posted at 2:27 PM, Jun 27, 2017
and last updated 2017-06-27 14:44:21-04

OCEAN CITY, Md. - The Coast Guard medevaced a 14-year-old from a cruise ship Tuesday morning.

The cruise ship was 430 miles off Ocean City, Maryland when the incident happened.

Watchstanders in Portsmouth were notified by the captain of the Norwegian Breakaway that the young man was suffering from appendicitis-like symptoms.

A MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter and a HC-130J aircraft crew from Coast Guard Air Station Elizabeth City arrived on scene.

The helicopter crew hoisted the teen from the ship and took him to Sentara Norfolk General Hospital. The boy's grandmother was hoisted to accompany him to the hospital.

"The professionalism exhibited by the crew of the Norwegian Breakaway ensured that the Coast Guard was adequately informed of a life threatening situation aboard,” said Lt. j.g. Dan Dunn, the command duty officer at the 5th District Command Center. “Their willingness to alter their course inland ensured that the aircrew transported this young man to the appropriate medical facility in a timely manner, thus saving his life."