Dramatic Helicopter Rescues 99-Year-Old Man and Woman From Ruby Princess Cruise Off Alaska Coast [WATCH]

A 99-year-old passenger and a 52-year-old woman were airlifted from the Ruby Princess cruise ship in separate emergency rescues coordinated by U.S. and Canadian officials as the vessel sailed through rough waters off Alaska on Sunday, as reported by The Daily Mail.

According to the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG), watchstanders in the Northwest District received a notification that two passengers required immediate evacuation as the ship traveled about 145 nautical miles west of Cape Flattery, Washington.

Video shows 99-year-old man rescued by U.S. coast guard off B.C. coasthttps://t.co/gDcaVCN8em pic.twitter.com/hz3q9K1zzn

— National Post (@nationalpost) August 26, 2025

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The first emergency involved a 99-year-old man suffering from a complete esophageal obstruction, a condition that blocks the passage of food and liquid between the throat and stomach.

The second involved a 52-year-old woman who had suffered sudden cardiac arrest and was placed on life support.

The Coast Guard dispatched an MH-65 Dolphin helicopter from Air Station Port Angeles to hoist the elderly man from the ship.

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Video showed the passenger being lifted into the air as heavy waves churned below. He was then transferred to Life Flight Network at Neah Bay, Washington, before being transported to a hospital.

For the second evacuation, the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) Joint Rescue Coordination Centre Victoria launched a CH-149 Cormorant helicopter from 19 Wing Comox.

Crews hoisted the 52-year-old woman and transported her to Royal Jubilee Hospital in Victoria, British Columbia.

Cmdr. Kelly Higgins, commanding officer of USCG Air Station Port Angeles, credited international teamwork for the successful rescues.

“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,” Higgins said.

“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.”

US Coast Guard Joins with Canadian Forces for Rescue Off Washington Coast – Video —– Two critically ill passengers aboard the Ruby Princess cruise ship https://t.co/3k8t1o4BJc pic.twitter.com/mUtsebS1wu

— Oregon Coast (@OregonCoastBuzz) August 26, 2025

The condition of both passengers has not been released. The Ruby Princess had departed from San Francisco on Friday and was on an 11-day voyage with scheduled stops in Ketchikan, Alaska, and other ports in Canada before returning to California.

The incident comes as the Ruby Princess continues to face scrutiny from its past.

The ship was at the center of a COVID-19 outbreak in March 2020 after departing Sydney, Australia, on a New Zealand round trip. More than 660 passengers tested positive, and 28 people died during the outbreak.

In 2023, an Australian court ruled that Princess Cruises should have known about the heightened risks and awarded damages to passengers in a class action lawsuit.

The ship has also faced recent headlines. In December 2024, a 72-year-old American tourist went missing during a five-day cruise to Mexico aboard the Ruby Princess. The disappearance was treated as a man overboard incident.

The Ruby Princess was continuing its Alaskan itinerary after the weekend medical evacuations.

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