A cruise trip exploring the Hawaiian Islands and the Mexican Riviera got here to an abrupt finish for one visitor onboard Holland America Line’s Zaandam following a medical emergency that required a US Coast Guard evacuation.
The drama unfolded at about 10 am on November 25, 2024, when the senior physician on Zaandam notified the US Coast Guard’s Joint Rescue Coordination Middle Honolulu {that a} 32-year-old male visitor was exhibiting indicators of a stroke and wanted extra medical consideration than the cruise ship may present.
Zaandam was lower than every week into her 28-day Circle Hawaii & Mexican Riviera/Sea Of Cortez cruise, roundtrip from San Diego, when the emergency occurred. The ship had departed the Southern California port on November 19, 2024 and had accomplished her first port name, at Honolulu, Oahu.
The pressing name to the Coast Guard occurred after that port name, because the ship was crusing about 330 miles northeast of Oahu.
After consulting with their responsibility flight surgeon, Coast Guard watchstanders ready to medevac the visitor. At about 3:15 am on November 26, 2024, the Coast Guard dispatched an MH-65 Dolphin helicopter crew and an HC-130 Hercules airplane crew from Coast Guard Air Station Barbers Level.
The crews reached Zaandam because the ship sailed about 50 miles east of Kaneohe, Oahu. The visitor was hoisted into the helicopter, together with a nurse from the cruise ship, and each have been taken to Queen’s Medical Middle in Honolulu.
The visitor’s identification was not revealed. He was reported to be in steady situation after arriving on the Honolulu hospital. You possibly can watch footage of the airlift beneath:
Zaandam, a 1,432-guest Rotterdam-class ship, continued on her journey with no obvious adjustments to her itinerary. The ship is scheduled to name at ports in Maui and the Huge Island of Hawaii earlier than crusing to a number of Mexican Riviera ports, together with Ensenada, Cabo San Lucas, Loreto, La Paz, Mazatlan, Puerto Vallarta, and Manzanillo.
The ship, one in all Holland America Line’s older ships, entered service in 2000, and can stay homeported in San Diego by means of early Might 2026, when she repositions to Vancouver, British Columbia.
Learn Additionally: Learn how to Keep Protected and Take pleasure in Your Cruise Trip
Zaandam will supply 7-night Alaska Inside Passage cruises by means of mid-September 2025 earlier than returning to San Diego. The ship will sail a 56-night South Pacific voyage earlier than resuming her winter schedule of Hawaii and Mexico cruises.
Earlier Airlift Additionally Occurred in Hawaiian Waters
The Coast Guard evacuation of the ailing visitor from Zaandam was the second incident that occurred within the waters off Hawaii within the final month.
In mid-October 2024, a 63-year-old male visitor crusing on Princess Cruises’ 2,600-guest Grand Princess grew to become in poor health with extreme stomach ache, prompting the ship’s medical crew to request a medevac from the Coast Guard.
In that case, the ship notified the US Coast Guard District Eleven Command Middle on October 12, 2024 as she sailed close to the Huge Island of Hawaii. The subsequent day, an MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew from Guard Air Station Ventura arrived and evacuated the visitor.
One other Coast Guard evacuation occurred later in October, when a 71-year-old visitor crusing on Carnival Cruise Line’s 5,374-guest Carnival Jubilee grew to become in poor health. The ship had simply left her homeport of Galveston, Texas to start a Western Caribbean cruise.
The ship’s crew alerted Coast Guard Sector Houston-Galveston on October 26, 2024 that the visitor wanted superior medical care. The Coast Guard despatched a 45-foot response boat from Station Galveston to airlift the visitor.
