U.S. Coast Guard steps in…
According to news reports, a female passenger (described as 57 years old) was taken from Princess Cruises Grand Princess Sunday evening. Apparently she had a heart attack.
The U.S. Coast Guard was called and she was eventually medevaced from the cruise ship by helicopter. Reports were that she was stable.
The incident occurred about 80 miles southwest of Monterey, California.
NBC News reported, “a Coast Guard flight surgeon recommended that the woman be medically evacuated and taken to a hospital for emergency care. An MH-65 Dolphin helicopter from Air Station San Francisco was dispatched, and the crew hoisted the woman off the ship and flew her to the mainland.”
Heart attacks on cruise ships…
Heart attacks and other heart related issues are not uncommon occurrences on cruise ships. With so many people traveling on ships each year (and many of those being passengers older than 50) the probability of passengers needing medical care for heart problems is greater than you might expect.
While it’s generally advised that passengers check with their doctors to make sure they are healthy enough to travel on a cruise vacation, most passengers do not. There is no indication that the incident on Grand Princess was the result of not gaining clearance from a doctor, but it’s important to know that incidents just like this do occur. Making sure you’re healthy and have all of your prescribed medications is important, especially for extended cruises and cruises where you might be getting off the ship onto islands with less standards of care than what you might be accustomed to.
Medical questions for a cruise ship lawyer…
Sometimes hurt passengers have questions for a cruise lawyer. If you have a specific question or are unsure about your legal rights as a passenger, you should reach out to a cruise ship injury law firm like Waks and Barnett, P.A. Our contact information is at the top right hand side of this page. Our 800# is 1-800-905-2891. You can call our firm or use the contact form for emailing us.
All case consultations are free of charge.