8-year-old on cruise ship airlifted after medical emergency off California, video shows

A U.S. Coast Guard airlifted an 8-year-old boy to a hospital from a cruise ship 20 miles off the Northern California coastline, a video shows.

The child, a passenger on the Royal Princess cruise ship off Eureka, had appendicitis, the Coast Guard said in a news release with the video.

The ship notified authorities of the medical emergency at 7 a.m. Tuesday, Sept. 24, officials said.

An MH-65 Dolphin helicopter flew to the ship, hoisted the child and his family, and flew them to a Eureka hospital, the Coast Guard said.

The video shows the helicopter approaching the cruise ship in the fog and lifting the boy and family in a rescue basket.

Eureka is about a 270-mile drive northwest from San Francisco.

This story was originally published September 26, 2024 at 12:01 PM with the headline "8-year-old on cruise ship airlifted after medical emergency off California, video shows."