PORTSMOUTH, VA – Two crew members from a cruise ship off the coast of Virginia Beach were medevacked to Sentara Norfolk General Hospital after suffering from chemical burns.
According to the Coast Guard, the two injured were aboard the cruise ship Celebrity Summit approximately 69 miles off the coast. The cruise ship contacted the Coast Guard Fifth District Command Center which sent a Coast Guard Air Station Elizabeth City MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew to transport the injured. The physician from the cruise ship was hoisted onto the helicopter as well.
"The Coast Guard trains daily for situations like this," said Mr. Ryan Langley, a Fifth District Coast Guard Command Center operations watchstander. "Being that there are so many hazards on the water, we remain always ready so that we can respond effectively to answer the public's call."
The two injured are currently getting treated for their chemical burns, and according to the Coast Guard there were also in need of further medical care.
