U.S. Coast Guard medevacs cruise ship passenger following strokes

A 72-year-old man who suffered “multiple strokes 300 miles offshore of Kailua-Kona, Hawaii” aboard a cruise ship last week is recovering after being airlifted to a hospital, the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) announced.

Video of the rescue shows a Coast Guard medevac helicopter hovering over the Holland America Line’s Koningsdam ship on Thursday, before it lowered a basket for the man to go into prior to being hoisted and taken to Honolulu’s Queen’s Medical Center.

Joint Rescue Coordination Center Honolulu received a notice the day before that the cruise passenger had multiple strokes, and a flight surgeon recommended that he be medevaced within 20 hours, the USCG said in a press release. 

The following morning, an HC-130 Hercules airplane crew and an MH-65 Dolphin helicopter crew from Coast Guard Air Station Barbers Point met up with the cruise ship about 60 miles south of Honolulu. 

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“By combining the skills of our crews and the specialized capabilities of our aircraft, we are able to respond to emergencies across the vast Pacific region,” Lt. Cmdr. John Stockton, HC-130 Hercules aircraft commander at Air Station Barbers Point, said in a statement. “Teamwork is critically important for medevacs, which are among the most time-sensitive and high-stakes missions we take on.” 

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The Coast Guard said the man, whose identity was not made public, was in stable condition.

Holland America did not immediately respond to a Fox News Digital request for comment.