A 45-year-old cruise ship passenger was airlifted to a hospital Saturday after suffering a serious medical emergency aboard a vessel off the Northern California coast, the U.S. Coast Guard said.
The passenger was aboard the Queen Elizabeth about 45 miles southwest of Shelter Cove, a remote Humboldt County community, when a crew member contacted the Coast Guard at 8:47 a.m. to request a medical evacuation, officials said.
After consulting with a duty flight surgeon, who recommended the evacuation, Coast Guard watchstanders dispatched an MH-65 Dolphin helicopter crew from Air Station Humboldt Bay.
The aircrew hoisted the man from the cruise ship and flew him to St. Joseph Hospital in Eureka. He was reported to be in unstable condition, according to the Coast Guard.
Officials did not release the man’s name or provide details about his medical condition.
The Coast Guard said officials stayed in regular contact with the ship’s crew to monitor the passenger’s condition until the helicopter departed safely with him.