The Coast Guard is reporting a medical evacuation of two passengers off the Norwegian Gem. The rescue occurred early morning on July 24, 2016. The cruise ship contacted sector Hampton Roads Command Center in Portsmouth and notified it that the two passengers were experiencing “medical complications”. The liner was about 75 miles northeast of Cape Henry at the time of the emergency. The medical rescue was executed by a MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew and assisted by a C-130 Hercules aircraft crew from Air Station Elizabeth City, North Carolina. Both men were hoisted on board the helicopter shortly after 5 a.m.
Authorities are investigating the incident. The ship is expected to depart Bermuda as scheduled and return to New York on July 24.
The helicopter crew arrived at approximately 8 p.m., hoisted the man and flew him to Tampa General Hospital where he arrived at about midnight. According to reports, the man was in stable condition upon arrival.
The Coast Guard reports that an aircrew from its Sitka Alaska Air Station medevaced a passenger from a Royal Caribbean cruise ship last Tuesday. The [17th District Command Center](http://www.uscg.mil/d17/) was informed by the master of the *[Explorer of the Seas](http://www.royalcaribbean.com/findacruise/ships/class/ship/home.do?shipCode=EX)* that a 57-year-old passenger was experiencing stroke-like symptoms and requested that he be medevaced to a land-based hospital. The Coast Guard’s duty flight surgeon was consulted and recommended the medevac. The aircrew met the cruise ship in the Chatham Straight near Sitka and hoisted the man onto the rescue helicopter. The passenger was then transported to Sitka where he was met by awaiting emergency medical services personnel.
Law enforcement is conducting an investigation into a boating accident that killed a 7-year-old child in Charlotte County, Florida. The incident occurred about 9 a.m. on the morning of July 9th near the Stump Pass area of Placida. The boy was in a 20-foot boat with his father and 11-year-old brother. Reports indicate that the boy was sitting at the back of the boat when his father turned on the engine. Unfortunately, the father applied too much throttle which caused the boy to fall off the back of the boat and into water. The boy made contact with the engine’s propeller severely injuring him. The child was transported to the Englewood Emergency room where he later died from his injures.
