Woman suffering diabetic shock airlifted by Coast Guard from Royal Caribbean cruise ship
The 75-year-old passenger was taken to a hospital in Virginia
— -- A 75-year-old woman experiencing diabetic shock was airlifted by the U.S. Coast Guard Saturday morning from a cruise ship located approximately 100 miles east of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina.
The Coast Guard said its 5th District Command Center in Portsmouth, Virginia, was notified at about 9:55 a.m. that a passenger in distress was on board the Royal Caribbean cruise ship Anthem of the Seas.
"An HC-130 Hercules aircraft crew and an MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew from Coast Guard Air Station Elizabeth City, North Carolina, launched to assist," the Coast Guard said in a statement. "Upon arrival, the Jayhawk helicopter crew hoisted the woman to the helicopter and transported her to Sentara Norfolk General Hospital in Norfolk, arriving at about 1:50 p.m."
The unidentified woman's rescue was captured in the following video, which was released by the Coast Guard.
Coast Guard Lt. Courtney Wolf, the command duty officer for the case, said, "Cases like this highlight the importance of cooperation between the Coast Guard, cruise ship personnel and local hospital staff. Today's hoist went seamlessly due to the coordination between all involved parties, and as a result we were able to transport this individual quickly and safely."
Diabetic shock -- or diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) -- is a diabetes complication that can lead to unconsciousness, during which the individual has dangerously high blood sugar (hyperglycemia) or dangerously low blood sugar (hypoglycemia).