The new U.S. Coast Guard Air Station in Ventura County, California, carried out its first rescue at sea on Sunday, airlifting a man who fell ill on a cruise ship.
Around 1 a.m. Saturday, the Coast Guard District Eleven Command Center received a call from the cruise ship Grand Princess, which was off the coast near Los Angeles, officials said.
The ship reported a medical emergency involving a 63-year-old passenger suffering from severe abdominal pain.
The Coast Guard coordinated communication with the ship until it was within range of an MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter to respond.
The helicopter crew, consisting of Lt. Rob Turley, Lt. Miguel Cortez, Petty Officer 2nd Class Curren Hinote, and Petty Officer 2nd Class Sam Monahan, successfully hoisted the man from the ship around 2:30 p.m. on Sunday.
They also received aerial support from a C-27 Spartan aircraft from Coast Guard Air Station Sacramento.
After the rescue, the man was transported to Torrance Memorial Medical Center in Torrance, California, where emergency medical teams were waiting.
Air Station Ventura, located on Naval Base Ventura County in Point Mugu, north of Los Angeles, provides maritime air support for the Coast Guard from Orange County to San Luis Obispo County, including the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach.
The state-of-the-art $70 million facility includes a 43,000-square-foot hangar and a 12,000-square-foot administration building. It houses three MH-60 Jayhawk helicopters and approximately 100 personnel.
TMX contributed to this report.
