The U.S. Coast Guard does it again with its fast response and skillful professionalism.  A 40-year-old crew member suffered a severe abdominal pain on the Celebrity Summit and was in need of urgent medical assistance when another crew member aboard the same ship alerted the U.S. Coast Guard via the VHF channel 16 at 5 p.m. this Monday.  The cruise ship was sailing approximately 290 miles off the Eastern shore.

After consulting with the medical officer aboard the cruise ship, a rescue air crews from the U. S. Coast Guard Air Station Elizabeth City, N.C., launched aboard an MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter and an HC-130 Hercules aircraft.  Once the Jayhawk crew hoisted the crew member and a ship’s nurse, they were transported to the Sentara Norfolk General Hospital for further medical assistance.