The first several weeks of 2015 have seen many medical evacuations from cruise ships. This time the Coast Guard rescued a passenger from the Galveston based Carnival Magic last Saturday. The emergency call was placed near 9 p.m. from the cruise ship’s medical staff stating that a 51-year-old female passenger was suffering from respiratory problems. Air Station Houston dispatched a rescue helicopter. An ATC Mobile HC-144 Ocean Sentry aircrew was also launched to support the rescue. The rescue teams met up with the Carnival Magic 184 miles off the coast of Galveston. The passenger, along with the cruise ship’s nurse, were hoisted onto the helicopter and taken to Scholes Airport. There an EMS team was standing by to transport them to University of Texas Medical Branch. Lieutenant Commander, Scott Sanborn, the operations officer at Air Station Houston stated, “Whenever we are responding to a case that is a significant distance offshore the risk is elevated, but with the expertise of both air crews, as well as the seamless coordination from the Sector Houston-Galveston command center personnel, we were able to safely transport the woman to the highest medical care possible.”

The passenger is reported to be in stable condition.