A U.S. Coast Guard helicopter from Kalaeloa yesterday airlifted an ill 63-year-old man from the cruise ship Carnival Spirit 100 miles off O'ahu.

Events began to unfold Saturday afternoon, when the 11th Coast Guard District Command Center in Alameda, Calif., received a distress call from the 959-foot cruise ship.

The Coast Guard Joint Rescue Coordination Center in Honolulu was contacted Saturday night after the cruise ship's doctor reported the man's condition was deteriorating.

The ship's doctor reported Sunday afternoon that the man needed vital medication because the ship's supply was running low.

An Air Station Barbers Point C-130 long-range search plane air dropped the medication to the cruise ship 200 miles northeast of O'ahu at 12:30 p.m. Monday.

When the cruise ship was 100 miles off O'ahu, an HH-65 rescue helicopter crew evacuated the man via a rescue basket at 5:40 p.m. The man was taken to Tripler Army Medical Center.