A Coast Guard Air Station Sitka MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew medevaced an 81-year-old female with a head injury from the 112-foot cruise ship Island Spirit, in the vicinity of Stephens Passage, Alaska, on June 16.
The Jayhawk crew safely hoisted the woman and transported her to awaiting emergency medical service (EMS) personnel in Juneau.
Watchstanders at the Coast Guard Sector Juneau command center received a medevac request from the Island Spirit crew reporting the woman had fallen, severely injuring her head. Watchstanders consulted the duty flight surgeon and requested the launch of the Jayhawk crew.
“Due to the head trauma and weather conditions, we determined the best course of action was to get her off the Island Spirit and place her aboard the Jayhawk helicopter, a more stable platform for transport,” said PO 2 Richard Hinderhofer, watchstander at Sector Juneau command center. “The aircrew’s readiness, along with the professionalism of the Island Spirit, enabled us to quickly transport the woman to advanced medical care.”
Weather on scene was reported as 20-miles-per-hour winds and four-foot seas.
