The Coast Guard medevaced a 76-year-old man being treated for internal bleeding from a cruise ship 80 miles north of Oahu, Tuesday.
An MH-65 Dolphin helicopter crew from Coast Guard Air Station Barbers Point safely hoisted the man from the cruise ship Carnival Miracle at 9 p.m. and transferred him to awaiting EMS at the Honolulu Airport. The patient was admitted to Queens Medical Center at 10:14 p.m.
Personnel aboard the cruise ship contacted watchstanders at Coast Guard Joint Rescue Coordination Center Honolulu at 4:21 p.m. Sunday regarding medical assistance for an ailing passenger.
The ship had originally departed Vancouver, British Columbia, en route Nawiliwili, Kauai.
The ship’s doctor was treating the man for internal bleeding. A Coast Guard flight surgeon was consulted and recommended a 12-hour communications schedule with the cruise ship. The man's condition worsened and an HC-130 Hercules aircrew from Coast Guard Air Station Barbers Point conducted an airdrop of blood, Tuesday.
The Hercules aircrew flew approximately 400 miles and successfully dropped 10 critical units of blood received from Tripler Army Medical Center via parachute to medical personnel aboard the Carnival Miracle.
The cruise ship maintained communication with the Coast Guard and continued toward Kauai.
The patient's condition continued to worsen and the Coast Guard duty flight surgeon recommended a medevac.
A Dolphin helicopter crew and Hercules aircrew launched from Air Station Barbers Point at 7:44 p.m. Tuesday.
There are four HC-130 Hercules airplanes based on Oahu serving the Central and South Pacific. These aircraft are the primary means of conducting long range missions and are scheduled to be replaced by the HC-130J, which will bring increased speed, range and capability to the Coast Guard mission in the Pacific.
www.uscg.mil/acquisition/programs/air.asp.