Coast Guards Evacuates Two From Star Princess

  photo by Yankeesman312

Coast Guard aircraft deploys for medical evacuation from American Samoa

HONOLULU – A Coast Guard air crew has deployed to assist with the medical evacuation of two inured and ill cruise ship passengers from American Samoa Monday.

A Coast Guard C-130 Hercules airplane crew from Air Station Barbers Point will meet the two patients in American Samoa and transport them to Honolulu. Medical staff from Kalawao Rescue will provide care during the approximately 10 hour return flight.

The C-130 crew and passengers are scheduled to return to Coast Guard Air Station Barbers Point at approximately 9 a.m.

The two passengers suffered injury and illness during unrelated incidents while underway aboard the cruise ship Star Princess. One passenger is a 91-year-old male and the other is an 82-year-old female.

The Coast Guard received notification Monday and the C-130 crew was deployed at 2 p.m. after a Coast Guard flight surgeon determined that it was the aircrew could conduct transport 48 hours faster and deliver passengers to facilities more capable of meeting their medical needs.

U.S. Coast Guard, NTSB Launch Investigation On The Carnival Triumph Engine Fire.

Coast Guard investigators from the Coast Guard Marine Safety Center and the Investigations Center of Expertise examine the cruise ship Carnival Triumph's engine room, Feb. 14, 2013, to determine the cause of a fire that broke out Feb. 10 and stranded the ship with its passengers for days in the Gulf of Mexico. The results of the joint international investigation may take months, but could possibly help prevent the same type of incident from happening in the future. (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Lt. Jerry Federer)

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Coast Guard and the National Transportation Safety Board launched an investigation Tuesday into the circumstances surrounding a fire aboard the Carnival Triumph, that occurred Sunday.

The Carnival Triumph experienced an engine room fire while on a four-day cruise in the Gulf of Mexico, and has been without propulsion in the Gulf of Mexico since.  The ship’s automatic fire extinguishing systems activated and the fire was extinguished. No injuries to guests or crew members were reported in connection to the fire.

The ship arrived in Mobile, Ala., Thursday evening.

Because the Carnival Triumph is a Bahamian flagged vessel, the Bahamas Maritime Authority is the primary investigative agency. In accordance with international guidelines, the U.S. will participate in this investigation as a Marine Safety Investigative State.

Coast Guard members from both the Investigations and Cruise Ship Centers of Expertise, along with a representative from the Coast Guard Marine Safety Center will lead the U.S. investigation joined by a team of five investigators from the NTSB Office of Marine Safety and the Office of Research and Engineering. The purpose of the investigation is to identify causal and contributing factors that led to the incident. Additionally both the crew response and effectiveness of fire fighting systems will be evaluated to help prevent future incidents.

The U.S. team is expected to arrive in Mobile Wednesday. Results of the investigation will be released to the public once the investigation by the Bahamas Maritime Authority is complete.