Coast Guard Airlifts Windstar Star Pride Passenger After Two-Day Wait North of Puerto Rico

October 29, 2026 — The U.S. Coast Guard airlifted an 81-year-old passenger from Windstar Cruises’ Star Pride north of Puerto Rico after monitoring him for two days while the ship was too far out for a helicopter to reach.

What happened

Saturday, October 24: The man had a medical emergency when Star Pride was about 900 nautical miles north of Puerto Rico. The ship asked Coast Guard Sector San Juan for an evacuation around 5:00 p.m.
Over the weekend: Because the ship was beyond helicopter range, the Coast Guard stayed in contact and monitored the patient as the ship sailed toward Puerto Rico.
Monday, October 26: Around 3:00 p.m., an MH-60T Jayhawk crew from Air Station Borinquen hoisted the patient and a ship’s nurse when the ship was about 150 nautical miles north of the island.
He was flown to San Juan and taken to Centro Médico in Río Piedras. His name and condition have not been released.

Star Pride was on an 8-night cruise from Boston (departed October 20) to San Juan, which was also the last leg of a 19-night sailing from Montreal that began October 9. Guests were due to disembark in San Juan on October 28. No itinerary change was announced, and Cruise Hive did not say which sailing the patient was on.

What it means for airline travelers

Sea days mean distance from help. On repositioning and coastal-to-Caribbean voyages, a ship can spend days beyond helicopter range. Travel medical and evacuation insurance is worth a close look, especially for older travelers.
Know your flight home. If a family member is evacuated, the rest of the party may need to fly from a different airport than planned. Keep your airline apps and travel documents handy and have a backup plan for standby travel home.
No interline or travel-industry rates were involved in this story.