Coast Guard Airlifts Allure of the Seas Crew Member Near Puerto Rico
After leaving San Juan, the ship turned south to meet an MH-60 Jayhawk from Air Station Borinquen; the patient was then taken to Hospital Buen Samaritano in Aguadilla.
The U.S. Coast Guard airlifted a 32-year-old crew member from Royal Caribbean’s Oasis-class Allure of the Seas on Thursday night, September 24, 2026, about 50 nautical miles northwest of Puerto Rico. He needed hospital care for severe, chronic abdominal pain that could not be treated aboard the ship.
The evacuation request reached Coast Guard Sector San Juan watchstanders at approximately 8 p.m., about five hours after the vessel departed San Juan. Allure of the Seas turned south toward Puerto Rico to shorten the rendezvous with the rescue helicopter.
An MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter launched from Air Station Borinquen in northwestern Puerto Rico. The aircrew hoisted the crew member from the ship and flew him to the station, where an ambulance took him to Hospital Buen Samaritano in Aguadilla, roughly six miles away.
Cmdr. Zachery Geyer, Coast Guard Sector San Juan search and rescue mission coordinator for the case, credited communication among the watchstanders, a flight surgeon at Air Station Miami, the helicopter team and the ship’s officers and crew. That communication “ensured we could meet a tight time-to-care window,” he said.
“This successful mission highlights the vital importance of our interagency partnerships and the close collaboration we maintain with commercial vessel medical teams,” Geyer said.
No update on the crew member’s condition has been released since his transfer to the hospital. His name and role aboard the vessel have not been disclosed, and Royal Caribbean has not issued a public statement about the evacuation.
The evacuation follows multiple medical emergencies aboard Royal Caribbean’s Oasis of the Seas the previous week. That ship reversed course to Nassau so the affected passengers could receive treatment at a shoreside hospital.
Allure of the Seas was operating an eight-night cruise that departed Fort Lauderdale on September 19. No itinerary delay has been reported. AIS tracking showed the vessel heading toward its next scheduled call, Perfect Day at CocoCay, on Saturday, September 26.
