C.G. Medevacs Woman on Ship

By Sentinel Staff

A Coast Guard Air Station Sitka helicopter on Sunday medevacked a 65-year-old woman from a cruise ship approaching Sitka.

The first call reporting the passenger experiencing eye pain came in at 6 p.m. when the Holland America Zuiderdam was at Cape Spencer. The helicopter launched within an hour but had to turn back because the fog was too thick to safely conduct a hoist, the Coast Guard said. At 10 p.m., after the fog had cleared and the ship was just outside Sitka Sound, the helicopter flew again and returned with the patient by 10:42 p.m. She was taken to Mt. Edgecumbe Medical Center.