Canadian rescue technicians were called into action this weekend to help with two simultaneous but unrelated medical evacuations from a cruise ship off the Washington state coast.
It happened on Sunday, when the U.S. Coast Guard received a call from the Ruby Princess cruise ship about two patients in need of immediate airlift.
A 52-year-old woman had suffered a sudden cardiac arrest and was on life support, while a 99-year-old man had suffered from complete esophageal obstruction.
Canada deployed a CH-149 Cormorant helicopter and one of its new CC-295 Kingfisher aircraft from RCAF 19 Wing Comox, while the U.S. Coast Guard deployed an MH-65 Dolphin helicopter from Port Angeles.
The Kingfisher acted as spotter, keeping in visual and radio contact with all parties and co-ordinating the operation. The Canadian crew evacuated the female patient, and the U.S. crew evacuated the male patient from the cruise ship.
The woman was taken to Royal Jubilee Hospital in Victoria, while the man was transported to Neah Bay, Wash.
It’s the second time in recent weeks that a Canadian crew has been deployed to assist their counterparts in Washington state.
In late July, a Kingfisher was deployed to provide oversight as a U.S. chopper airlifted a Canadian mariner from a vessel on the Oregon coast.