VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. – A man and a woman had to be medically evacuated from a cruise ship off the Virginia Beach coast on Monday morning.
Watchstanders at Coast Guard Sector Hampton Roads were contacted at 2:30 a.m. Monday by the captain of the Carnival Pride to report two passengers needing to be medically evacuated.
A 69-year-old woman had suffered a heart attack and a 56-year-old man suffered a seizure.
An MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter from Air Station Elizabeth City launched to assist. They met with the cruise ship approximately nine miles off the coast of Virginia Beach and hoisted the two passengers and one nurse aboard. They were transported to Sentara Norfolk General Hospital for treatment.
“A complex medevac like this requires strong communications and coordination between the aircrew, command center staff and cruise ship personnel,” said Lt. j.g. Brad Milliken, command duty officer for the case. “Our priority was to deliver both passengers to higher medical care, and we are thankful we were able to do so quickly and smoothly.”
