On Sunday, two individuals were medically evacuated from the Ruby Princess cruise ship, which was located about 145 nautical miles west of Cape Flattery, Washington. The U.S. Coast Guard and the Canadian Coast Guard collaborated on the rescues, responding to urgent medical needs aboard the vessel.

The U.S. Coast Guard Northwest District received a notification early Sunday morning regarding the situation. A 52-year-old woman was in critical condition due to cardiac arrest and was on life support. Meanwhile, a 99-year-old man was suffering from a complete esophageal obstruction.

To facilitate the evacuations, the U.S. Coast Guard coordinated with the Canadian Coast Guard and the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF). A CC-295 Kingfisher aircraft from RCAF 19 Wing Comox provided aerial support during the operation.

An MH-65 helicopter from the U.S. Coast Guard Air Station Port Angeles was dispatched to medevac the elderly man. He was successfully hoisted into the helicopter, which then performed a wing-to-wing transfer with Life Flight Network at Neah Bay, Washington.

Simultaneously, Canadian officials deployed a CH-149 Cormorant helicopter from 19 Wing Comox to evacuate the woman. She was hoisted and subsequently transported to Royal Jubilee Hospital in Victoria, British Columbia.

Cmdr. Kelly Higgins, commanding officer of the U.S. Coast Guard Air Station Port Angeles, commented on the operation, stating, "This case demonstrates how our specialized expertise and dedicated training allows us to rapidly respond to these types of time-sensitive medical evacuations at sea. The expert coordination between the Canadian Coast Guard, the Life Flight Network, the Royal Canadian Air Force, and the U.S. Coast Guard ensured this patient received the care they needed."