A 64-year-old British passenger aboard Royal Caribbean’s cruise ship Star of the Seas, required urgent medical evacuation while the ship was sailing a 7-day Eastern Caribbean cruise from Port Canaveral.

According to a post from U.S. Coast Guard Sector San Juan, the rescue took place approximately 200 nautical miles northwest of Aguadilla, Puerto Rico, after the ship reported that a passenger was experiencing a serious medical emergency.

An MH-60T Jayhawk helicopter from Coast Guard Air Station Borinquen was dispatched to the vessel. The aircrew carried out a complex hoisting operation from the ship’s deck, safely evacuating the passenger.

The patient was transferred to Centro Médico Hospital in Puerto Rico, where he received further medical treatment.

Lt. Nicholas Forsythe, co-pilot for the mission, highlighted the coordination involved:

“This was a great example of the professionalism of all of the Coast Guard units, medical professionals, and the crew of Star of the Seas. The coordinated efforts ensured the individual was able to safely reach the higher level of care he required.”

The rescue was initated on March 9, during 7-day round-trip Eastern Caribbean cruise departing from Port Canaveral, Florida. The ship was scheduled to return to Port Canaveral on March 15, 2026.