Coast Guard Rescues Passenger From Cruise Ship Off LA County Coast

LOS ANGELES, CA — The U.S. Coast Guard rescued a man who had fallen ill on a cruise ship off the coast of Los Angeles County over the weekend.

The patient, a 63-year-old man, was experiencing severe abdominal pain while aboard the Grand Princess ship. That prompted the crew to request that the Coast Guard send a medevac flight to the ship at around 1 a.m. Saturday, according to military officials.

The ship and Coast Guard maintained contact over the next day until the ship was close enough for a MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter aircrew from Air Station Ventura to fly to the Grand Princess.

The crew conducted an operation where they hoisted the patient from the cruise ship and into the helicopter at around 2:30 p.m. Saturday.

The operation was supported by a C-27 Spartan plane from Coast Guard Air Station Sacramento.

The crew consisted Lt. Rob Turley, Lt. Miguel Cortez, Petty Officer 2nd Class Curren Hinote and Petty Officer 2nd Class Sam Monahan.

The man was transferred to Torrance Memorial Medical Center in Torrance, where personnel were awaiting his arrival.

The operation marked the first rescue out of the Coast Guard's Air Station Ventura, which opened earlier this year at Naval Base Ventura County, Point Mugu.

The station features a $70 million, 43,000-square-foot hangar and a 12,000 square-foot administration facility. It houses three Jayhawk helicopters and 100 personnel, which military officials say significantly enhance the Coast Guard's capabilities in the region.

"The air station will serve a crucial role in protecting the busy maritime region from Orange County to San Luis Obispo County including the vital ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach," the Coast Guard said earlier this year. "The permanent presence of the Coast Guard in Ventura County will provide enhanced security and quicker response times to emergencies, benefiting both the local community and maritime industries."