A crew member has been urgently airlifted from Royal Caribbean’s Allure of the Seas after suffering severe abdominal pain while the cruise ship was sailing near Puerto Rico. The 32-year-old man was evacuated by the US Coast Guard on Thursday, September 24, after it was determined he required a higher level of medical care than could be provided aboard the ship. The emergency unfolded just hours after the 225,282-gross-tonne Allure of the Seas had departed San Juan.
Cruise ship turned back towards Puerto Rico
US Coast Guard Sector San Juan watchstanders received the request for a medical evacuation at around 8pm. The crew member was reported to be suffering from severe, chronic abdominal pain. At the time, Allure of the Seas was approximately 75 miles northwest of Aguadilla and turned back towards Puerto Rico to reduce the distance emergency crews would need to travel. An MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter from Coast Guard Air Station Borinquen was deployed and rendezvoused with the cruise ship approximately 58 miles northwest of Puerto Rico.
Crew member hoisted from ship
The Coast Guard aircrew carried out a precision hoist operation to lift the man from the cruise ship and into the helicopter. He was flown to Air Station Borinquen, where emergency medical personnel were waiting. The crew member was then transferred for further treatment at Buen Samaritano Hospital in Aguadilla. His identity, role aboard the ship and further details about his medical condition have not been released. There has also been no subsequent update on his condition.
Coast Guard praises rapid response
Commander Zachery Geyer, Coast Guard Sector San Juan search and rescue mission coordinator, said the successful operation demonstrated the importance of coordination between rescue teams and commercial vessels. He said: “This successful mission highlights the vital importance of our interagency partnerships and the close collaboration we maintain with commercial vessel medical teams. “The rapid communication between our watchstanders, Air Station Miami’s flight surgeon, our tactical aircrew and the cruise ship’s officers and crew ensured we could meet a tight time-to-care window and safely deliver this patient to a hospital to receive the higher level of care he needed.” Footage released by the US Coast Guard showed the rescue team carrying out the hoist from the cruise ship before transporting the crew member back towards Puerto Rico. 
Allure of the Seas continues cruise
Allure of the Seas had departed Fort Lauderdale on Saturday, September 19, for an eight-night sailing. Despite the medical diversion, no significant delay to the ship’s wider itinerary was reported. The Oasis-class vessel was subsequently continuing towards its next scheduled port of call at Perfect Day at CocoCay. Allure of the Seas carries approximately 2,100 crew members.
Originally published by UKNIP.
