Video shows 99-year-old man air lifted to safety | Travel News

A 99-year-old man and one other passenger have been medically evacuated by the U.S. Coast Guard and Royal Canadian Air Force whereas they have been on an Alaskan cruise. 

On Sunday, Aug. 24, the Coast Guard Northwest District watchstanders coordinated two pressing medical evacuations after receiving a notification from the cruise ship. The boat was a Ruby Princess cruise ship, operated by Princess Cruises, off the Washington Coast.

The 99-year-old man was affected by full esophageal obstruction, and the opposite passenger, a 52-year-old girl, had suffered sudden cardiac arrest and was on life help. This comes after a dad lately dove off a Disney cruise ship to save his daughter who fell overboard. 

The rescue effort was organized between U.S. and Canadian items. The Royal Canadian Air Force deployed a CH-149 Cormorant helicopter and CC-295 Kingfisher plane from RCAF 19 Wing Comox, which is positioned on Vancouver Island.

Simultaneously, the U.S. Coast Guard despatched a MH-65 Dolphin helicopter from USCG Air Station Port Angeles in Washington. The MH-65 Dolphin helicopter rescued the 99-year-old man from the Ruby Princess.

In a video launched by the Department of Homeland Security, a Coast Guard member is seen pulling the passenger up onto the helicopter, and the crew “conducted a wing-to-wing transfer with Life Flight Network at Neah Bay, Washington,” in accordance to the press release. 

The 52-year-old passenger was additionally efficiently lifted onto the rescue plane and brought to Royal Jubilee Hospital in Victoria, BC. 

“This case demonstrates how our specialized expertise and dedicated training allows us to rapidly respond to these types of time-sensitive medical evacuations at sea,“ said Kelly Higgins, the commanding officer of U.S. Coast Guard Air Station Port Angeles, according to the release. 

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She continued, “The expert coordination 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.”

While no authorities company formally regulates medical observe on cruise ships, the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) has printed pointers for cruise ship medical services and what steps to take within the occasion of a medical evacuation. 

According to a 2025 report by the CDC, “10% of all conditions reported to cruise ship medical centers are considered a medical emergency or require urgent care.” Furthermore, about 95% of medical points are handled onboard, with about 5% requiring evacuation or shoreside session.