# Cruise ship medical evacuations in British Columbia

> Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/cruise-ship-medical-evacuations-in-british-columbia
> Updated: 2026-09-13T14:24:25.000Z. Sources: 2. Developments: 2.

In August 2026, the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre in Victoria conducted a medical evacuation of an ill passenger from the cruise ship Ovation of the Seas in the Salish Sea, approximately 52 nautical miles northwest of Tofino. The operation utilized a CH-149 Cormorant helicopter and a CC-295 Kingfisher airplane to transport the patient to a hospital in Greater Victoria.

In September 2026, the Royal Canadian Air Force performed another high-seas search and rescue mission to evacuate an ill passenger from a cruise ship located approximately 200 km northwest of Port Hardy. During this mission, the ship’s captain steered the vessel into the wind and deactivated radar to facilitate the approach. Two search and rescue technicians were lowered onto the ship, and the patient, a travel companion, and a medical staff member were hoisted into a helicopter and flown to Comox for emergency health services.

## Timeline

### 2026-09-13: Royal Canadian Air Force rescues sick passenger from cruise ship

The Royal Canadian Air Force successfully performed a medical evacuation of a sick cruise ship passenger off the coast of British Columbia using a helicopter and airplane.

2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/royal-canadian-air-force-rescues-sick-passenger-from-cruise-ship

### 2026-08-18: Passenger airlifted from cruise ship in Salish Sea

A passenger on the Royal Caribbean cruise ship Ovation of the Seas was airlifted from the Salish Sea to a hospital in Greater Victoria following a medical emergency near Tofino.

20 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/ovation-of-the-seas-passenger-airlifted-from-salish-sea-near-tofino

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Cite as: Cruise ship medical evacuations in British Columbia. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/cruise-ship-medical-evacuations-in-british-columbia