Cruise ship passengers airlifted to hospital in critical condition in B.C.

Search and rescue teams from B.C. and the U.S. worked together to evacuate two passengers from a cruise ship off Vancouver Island's west coast.

Marine rescuers from Canada and the United States teamed up to conduct a pair of simultaneous helicopter extractions from a cruise ship off the west coast of Vancouver Island on Sunday.

The synchronized airlifts were required after two passengers suffered unrelated critical illnesses aboard the Ruby Princess cruise ship while the vessel was at sea approximately 85 kilometres south of Tofino, B.C.

An emergency call went out to the Joint Rescue Co-ordination Centre in Victoria at approximately 9 a.m., seeking urgent medical evacuation of two patients – a 52-year-old woman suffering a cardiac arrest and a 99-year-old passenger with an obstructed esophagus, according to statements and interviews with the Royal Canadian Air Force and the U.S. Coast Guard.

The vessel, which is operated by Princess Cruises, was travelling south from Sitka, Alaska, towards San Francisco, Calif., at the time of the incident.

A Cormorant helicopter and Kingfisher rescue plane were dispatched from 19 Wing Comox, while a U.S. Coast Guard Dolphin helicopter was dispatched from Port Angeles, Wash.

“When we arrived at the vessel, everything was very smooth, very professional,” said Capt. Dave Moore, commander of the Cormorant, which extracted the 52-year-old patient from the ship, while the U.S. helicopter extracted the other.

“The Kingfisher was already on scene, helping the U.S. Coast Guard helicopter. They provided top cover and some communications with the vessel, with the other aircraft, and did a good job co-ordinating on scene,” Moore added.

Cpl. Felix Serre, one of the search-and-rescue technicians who was lowered from the helicopter onto the ship deck, said “the medical staff in the cruise ship were incredible” throughout the process.

Both patients were flown to hospital in critical condition.

“This rescue operation exemplifies the exceptional international co-operation and the rapid emergency response capabilities of both nations,” said Lt. Keil Kodama, a spokesperson for 19 Wing Comox, in a statement.

A statement from the U.S. Coast Guard echoed the sentiment, saying “the co-ordinated response highlights the lifesaving partnership” between the two countries.

The Ruby Princess is scheduled to make a port stop in Victoria on Aug. 30.

A spokesperson for the company did not respond Tuesday to a request for comment about the medical emergencies aboard the ship.