Coast Guard Medevacs Celebrity Solstice Passenger Near Oahu
The rescue highlights how transpacific cruise routes rely on coordinated military and Coast Guard support when medical emergencies unfold far from port.
The U.S. Coast Guard and U.S. Navy medevaced a 78-year-old passenger from Celebrity Solstice early Thursday after the ship reported a serious medical case while approaching Hawaii. A Coast Guard MH-65 Dolphin crew hoisted the man about 58 miles offshore of Oahu and transferred him to Queen’s Medical Center in Honolulu, where he was last reported in stable condition.
The operation began Wednesday afternoon when Celebrity Solstice was still 276 miles southwest of Oahu, requiring the ship, Coast Guard watchstanders and Navy aircrew to coordinate through the evening as the vessel closed the distance to Hawaii. The evacuation took place near the end of a 16-night transpacific repositioning cruise from Sydney to Honolulu.
Coast Guard hoist conducted with Navy overwatch
Joint Rescue Coordination Center Honolulu received the medevac request at about 3:19 p.m. Wednesday, April 22, from a crew member aboard the Malta-flagged Celebrity Solstice. After consultation with a duty flight surgeon, who recommended evacuation by air, watchstanders maintained regular contact with the ship’s crew to monitor the passenger’s condition while the vessel continued toward Oahu.
A Coast Guard aircrew from Air Station Barbers Point launched in an MH-65 Dolphin to meet the ship. A U.S. Navy MH-60 Seahawk from Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron 37 supported the mission by handling communications and providing aerial overwatch during the hoist.
“Distance offshore and nighttime conditions complicate a hoist, but the U.S. Navy helped us minimize that risk and safely complete our mission,” said Lt. Taylor Gibbons, command duty officer for Coast Guard Oceania District. Gibbons said the outcome reflected the “professionalism and close inter-agency cooperation” between the services.
Ship was nearing Honolulu after South Pacific crossing
Celebrity Solstice was nearing the end of a long South Pacific crossing when the emergency developed. The ship departed Sydney on April 9 for a 16-night sailing scheduled to end with an overnight call in Honolulu on April 23.
The itinerary included Lifou in New Caledonia, Lautoka and Suva in Fiji, Apia in Samoa, and Pago Pago in American Samoa before the ship crossed the Pacific toward Hawaii. Authorities recommended the helicopter evacuation rather than waiting for the ship to reach port around 7 a.m. Thursday.
No further details on the passenger’s condition were released. Celebrity Solstice has since begun a nine-night sailing repositioning the ship to Vancouver for its Alaska season, with arrival scheduled for May 3, 2026.
