The Coast Guard medevaced a man Sunday night (6-5-22) from a cruise ship near Duke Island, around 120 miles southeast of Sitka.
Coast Guard headquarters in Juneau received a call around 6:30 p.m. from the Eurodam, a 2100-passenger Holland America cruise ship, on its way to Juneau. The caller reported a man on the ship was experiencing cardiac problems.
A four-person helicopter crew from Air Station Sitka responded. Nate Littlejohn is a public affairs officer with the Coast Guard.
“The Coast Guard helicopter crew arrived on scene with Eurodam at about 10 p.m. at Dixon Entrance about 30 miles south of Duke Island,” said USCG public affairs officer Nate Littlejohn. “The crew lowered a rescue swimmer and a rescue litter before hoisting the patient to the aircraft.”
Littlejohn says the crew flew the man north to Ketchikan, where a Guardian Flight crew took over, transporting the patient to a hospital in Bellingham, Washington.
Weather on scene included 20 mph winds and 3-foot seas. Watch a video of the hoist here.
