One of the bigger cruise liners scheduled to visit Petersburg AK this summer had to skip the port on Tuesday, July 25 due to medical emergency.
MS The World of Residensea is too large to transit Wrangell Narrows and has anchored in Frederick Sound and lightered cruise passengers into town for its past calls.
Around 9 pm on Monday outside of Wrangell AK, the vessel contacted the USCG and requested a medevac for one of the ship pilots (people inserted onto bigger ships, required by state law to navigate vessels through Alaska waters). Reportedly, the pilot showed signs of having suffered a stroke.
MS The World began making her way back to Wrangell. Rescue volunteers from Wrangell transported the ship pilot to the hospital in the community.
The diversion threw off the schedule for the liner and The World ended up canceling the planned visit to Petersburg and sailed on to Tracy Arm.