A passenger experiencing a medical emergency aboard a cruise ship approximately 200 kilometres northwest of Port Hardy was airlifted to safety by the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) early Saturday morning.

The rescue operation was carried out by the RCAF’s 442 Transport and Rescue Squadron, based at 19 Wing Comox, under the direction of the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre (JRCC) Victoria.

According to the RCAF, crews responded before dawn using a CH-149 Cormorant helicopter and a CC-295 Kingfisher aircraft.

The Cormorant helicopter arrived at the vessel first, allowing crews to coordinate the medical evacuation with the cruise ship’s captain. Two search and rescue technicians were then lowered onto the ship’s deck to prepare the patient for extraction.

The passenger, along with a companion and medical personnel, was subsequently hoisted into the hovering helicopter and transported to Comox.

Upon arrival, the patient was transferred to BC Emergency Health Services and taken to hospital for further treatment.

No details about the passenger’s condition have been released.