Within a 24-hour period, the U.S. Coast Guard carried out four medical evacuations of sick passengers from three different cruise ships off the coast of California. The first request for assistance came from the cruise ship Carnival Panorama at approximately 7 p.m. on Friday, April 28, prompting a Coast Guard helicopter to airlift a 47-year-old woman with a rapidly deteriorating illness from the ship, which was situated roughly 100 miles south of San Diego.

Later that same evening, at around 10:20 p.m., the Majestic Princess requested help from the Coast Guard for two passengers requiring medical attention while situated approximately 500 miles west of Los Angeles. The following morning, at about 10 a.m. on Saturday, April 29, a Coast Guard helicopter arrived closer to shore to collect a 74-year-old woman displaying symptoms of a stroke and a 77-year-old woman with kidney failure.

At 12:20 p.m. on the same day, the Carnival Spirit cruise ship requested assistance from the Coast Guard with an 84-year-old woman who was possibly experiencing a stroke, and who was situated around 86 miles from San Clemente Island. The Coast Guard responded by sending the same helicopter that had just completed the evacuation of the two women from the Majestic Princess. The crew carried out the lengthy rescue mission, which took over seven hours to complete.