The following is the text of a press release issued by the U.S. Coast Guard:
(SAN DIEGO) — A MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew from Coast Guard Sector San Diego medically evacuated a crewmember from a cruise ship 250 miles southwest of San Diego late Monday night.
Just after 2 p.m., the crew of the cruise ship Crystal Symphony notified the Coast Guard that the 39-year-old Filipino crewmember needed immediate medical assistance for an eye injury. A Coast Guard flight surgeon was consulted and recommended the crewmember be medically evacuated in order to preserve his eyesight.
At approximately 6:45 p.m., Monday, a helicopter was launched from Sector San Diego to conduct the medevac. An HC-130 Hercules aircraft crew from Air Station Sacramento supported the medevac by locating the ship and providing long-range coverage.
At 12:44 a.m, the helicopter crew hoisted the cruise ship’s crewmember, who was then flown to Scripps Memorial Hospital in La Jolla, Calif.
