Crews from 19 Wing Comox joined the U.S. and Canadian coast guards in a dramatic rescue of two cruise ship passengers off Washington state on Sunday.
Both countries scrambled aircraft to the cruise ship Ruby Princess, where two patients onboard required immediate medical evacuations about 145 nautical miles west of Cape Flattery, Washington.
One was a 52-year-old female passenger who had suffered sudden cardiac arrest and was on life support. The other was a 99-year-old male passenger suffering from complete esophageal obstruction.
The operation, starting at about 1 p.m., involved simultaneous rescue efforts, said the U.S. Coast Guard.
Royal Canadian Air Force 19 Wing Comox sent a CH-149 Cormorant helicopter and CC-295 Kingfisher aircraft, while the U.S. Coast Guard brought in an MH-65 Dolphin helicopter from Port Angeles.
The Kingfisher aircraft provided aerial oversight throughout the entire mission.
The U.S. helicopter was launched to medevac the 99-year-old. The crew hoisted the patient from the cruise ship and conducted a wing-to-wing transfer with Life Flight Network at Neah Bay, Washington.
Joint Rescue Co-ordination Centre Victoria launched the Cormorant from Comox for the 52-year-old female. She was hoisted aboard and transported to Royal Jubilee Hospital for treatment.
The Joint Rescue Co-ordination Centre, located at CFB Esquimalt, is operated by the Canadian Armed Forces and the Canadian Coast Guard. The centre directs search and rescue alerts and emergency response in the region and receives about 3,000 calls for assistance per year, 75 per cent of which relate to marine incidents.
“This case demonstrates how our specialized expertise and dedicated training allow us to rapidly respond to these types of time-sensitive medical evacuations at sea,” Cmdr. Kelly Higgins, commanding officer of U.S. Coast Guard Air Station Port Angeles, said in a statement.
“The expert co-ordination between the Canadian Coast Guard, the Life Flight Network, the Royal Canadian Air Force and the U.S. Coast Guard ensured this patient received the care they needed.”
Navy Lt. Keil Kodama, public affairs officer at 19 Wing Comox, said Tuesday the same crews will be training together next month during SAREX 2025, which is being hosted at 19 Wing Comox from Sept. 22 to 26.
Other participants will include Brazil, Chile and Spain.
