Crew Member Medically Evacuated From National Geographic Cruise Ship

The U.S. Coast Guard medically evacuated a crew member from a National Geographic Expeditions cruise ship off the coast of Oregon on Easter Sunday.

Watchstanders at Coast Guard Sector Columbia River were contacted by the motor vessel National Geographic Venture at 6:38 a.m. on Apr. 20, reporting that a 30-year-old crew member was experiencing shortness of breath and “excessive” vomiting. The Coast Guard duty flight surgeon recommended a helicopter medevac.

At around 8 a.m., an MH-65 Dolphin helicopter crew from Coast Guard Air Station North Bend met the National Geographic Venture about 15 miles west of Coos Bay, Ore.

A video shared by the Coast Guard shows the crew hoisting the male patient aboard the helicopter. He was transported to Bay Area Hospital in Coos Bay in stable condition.

“Safe and efficient medical evacuations of mariners are only possible through closely coordinated efforts from start to finish,” Lt. Christopher Saylor, Search and Rescue Mission Coordinator, Sector Columbia River, said in a statement. “The expert coordination between the flight crews, vessel master, and watchsanders resulted in a successful outcome for the patient.”

The National Geographic Venture operates under National Geographic Expeditions, and is capable of carrying around 100 guests on expeditions along the west coast of North America, from Alaska to Baja California, Mexico.