A crew member has been airlifted from Disney Wonder after the cruise ship requested a medical evacuation while sailing off the coast of British Columbia during an Alaska itinerary.
The Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) responded to the emergency on Tuesday, 8th September 2026, one day after Disney Wonder departed Vancouver for a seven-night roundtrip cruise.
The operation took place approximately 113 miles northwest of Port Hardy, placing the ship roughly 327 miles northwest of Vancouver at the time of the evacuation.
The identity of the crew member, who Disney Cruise Line refers to as a cast member, has not been disclosed. Details of the injury that prompted the evacuation have also not been released.
Royal Canadian Air Force Conducts Evacuation
The RCAF’s 442 Transport and Rescue Squadron deployed a CH-149 Cormorant helicopter and a CC-295 Kingfisher aircraft for the operation.
Footage released by the Royal Canadian Air Force showed two search-and-rescue technicians being lowered from the Cormorant onto the bow area of Disney Wonder. The injured crew member was subsequently hoisted from the ship to the helicopter.
Communications recorded during the operation show rescue personnel coordinating closely with the ship’s crew, including instructions concerning Disney Wonder’s speed and radar.
The vessel was asked to switch off its radar and reduce speed to five knots while the helicopter evacuation was carried out.
Once the crew member was safely aboard the rescue aircraft, the rescue team told the ship: “Disney Wonder, from Rescue 915, thanks for your help, you can resume your speed.”
The ship’s crew responded: “Thank you very much for your help, much appreciated.”
After leaving Disney Wonder, the injured crew member was taken to Comox. They were then transferred to a British Columbia Emergency Health Services helicopter for onward transportation to an appropriate hospital for treatment.
No further information about the crew member’s condition had been reported.
Cruise Continued Without Itinerary Changes
The medical evacuation did not result in a reported change to Disney Wonder’s seven-night Alaska itinerary.
The ship had departed Vancouver on 7th September and was scheduled to visit Skagway, Juneau and Ketchikan before returning to Vancouver on Monday, 14th September.
Disney Wonder subsequently completed that voyage, with the medical evacuation not reported to have affected the following sailing.
The vessel carries approximately 950 crew members from around the world and has been operating roundtrip Alaska cruises from Vancouver during the 2026 season.
Medical evacuations from cruise ships can take several forms depending on a vessel’s position, the patient’s needs, available rescue resources and access to suitable medical facilities ashore.
Helicopters are commonly used when a ship is sufficiently far offshore or a patient’s condition requires rapid transportation, although evacuations can also involve rescue or medical boats when a vessel is closer to land.
The Disney Wonder operation followed other cruise ship medical evacuations during the closing weeks of the summer season. A passenger was airlifted from Carnival Legend while the ship was sailing in the English Channel on 29th August 2026.
Several days earlier, on 25th August, a passenger aboard Carnival Firenze was evacuated by lifeguard transport boat while the cruise ship was travelling between Long Beach and Catalina Island.
In Disney Wonder’s case, the ship was able to resume normal speed after the RCAF completed the helicopter operation, allowing the Alaska voyage to continue without a reported disruption to its scheduled ports.
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