The U.S. Coast Guard aided a 69-year-old male from the cruise ship Norwegian Pearl near Coghlan Island on Thursday, according to a press release.
The man was suffering from abdominal pain last night when watchstanders received the call, USCG Petty Officer Meredith Manning, a public affairs officer for the 17th district, said.
At the time, the Norwegian Pearl was due to depart Skagway for Glacier Bay, but rerouted toward Coghlan Island at the entrance of Auke Bay, where a 45-foot USCG response vessel met the Norwegian Pearl. Commercial air ambulance services were unavailable to transport the man due to inclement weather.
USCG crew transferred the man to Capital City Fire/Rescue emergency personnel at Don D. Statter Memorial Harbor at Auke Bay on Thursday morning. CCFR took the man to Bartlett Regional Hospital, Fire Chief Rich Etheridge told the Empire Thursday afternoon.
Manning said Coast Guard District 17 has received a “pretty standard” load of medevac requests from cruise vessels this summer season.
“There are a lot of cruise ships and a lot of traffic,” this time of year, she said. “That’s one of the reasons there’s a lot of Coast Guard presence” in Alaska.
