Canadian Forces airlift cruise ship passenger from vessel off B.C. coast

A cruise ship passenger was airlifted to hospital after requiring emergency medical care while the vessel was sailing off the west coast of Vancouver Island, the Canadian Armed Forces says.

The medical evacuation took place June 19 after the passenger needed to be transported to a higher level of care while the ship was about 70 kilometres south of Brooks Peninsula, B.C.

The Joint Rescue Coordination Centre (JRCC) Victoria aided with the response, dispatching a CC-295 Kingfisher search-and-rescue aircraft and a CH-149 Cormorant helicopter from 442 Transport and Rescue Squadron.

After arriving on scene, two search-and-rescue technicians were lowered from the helicopter onto the cruise ship, where they assessed the patient and prepared them for the rescue.

Video released by the Canadian Armed Forces shows the Cormorant hovering above the ship as the rescue crew carefully hoists the patient into the helicopter before flying to Victoria.

The passenger was transported to hospital for further medical care. The Canadian Armed Forces has not released details about the person’s condition or identified the cruise ship involved.

Medical evacuations from vessels off British Columbia’s coast are a regular part of the work carried out by 442 Transport and Rescue Squadron, whose crews respond to emergencies across the province’s vast search-and-rescue region.