U.S. Coast Guard airlifts ailing Filipino crewman from cruise ship

U.S. Coast Guard airlifted a 61-year-old Filipino crewman with heart complications from the cruise ship Norwegian Joy (above) off Coos Bay, Oregon to a hospital. NORWEGIAN CRUISE LINES

COOS BAY, Oregon — The US Coast Guard medically evacuated a Filipino crewmember of the Norwegian Joy, who fell ill on Tuesday afternoon, October 8, as the cruise ship was sailing 33 miles off the coast of Coos Bay, Oregon.

The 61-year-old unnamed Filipino man reportedly was suffering heart complications and needed urgent medical assistance.

Watch standers at the 13th Coast Guard District Command Center received the initial call from Norwegian Joy crew for assistance at 12:40 p.m. from search and rescue coordinators at the Air Force Joint Rescue Coordination Center.

After conferring with the duty flight surgeon, the watch standers directed MH-65 Dolphin helicopter at 1:36 p.m. to fly to the cruise ship’s location.

The rescue helicopter arrived on the scene at 2:04 p.m. and hoisted the ill crew member, successfully lifting him safely into the helicopter from the ship.

The rescue crew returned to the North Bend Air Base at 3:15 p.m. and transferred the patient to Sacred Heart Medical Center at Riverbend in Springfield for further medical care.