US spends $750K to evacuate American stranded abroad hantavirus-struck cruise ship

PITCAIRN ISLAND: The US government is reportedly spending roughly $750,000 to evacuate an American woman from one of the most remote inhabited islands in the world after she may have been exposed to a deadly hantavirus outbreak on a cruise ship.

The woman was marooned on Pitcairn Island, a remote British territory in the South Pacific, after fears about her possible exposure disrupted travel plans. The evacuation operation has been highlighted because of its cost and difficulty in execution.

How an American traveler became stranded on Pitcairn Island

With no airport on Pitcairn Island and limited transportation options available, the State Department reportedly arranged a private yacht to transport the woman more than 1,000 miles across the Pacific Ocean so she could eventually return to the United States.

The woman, who may have been exposed to Hantavirus while aboard the MV Hondius cruise ship in April, had gotten off the ship and then flown to San Francisco before traveling to the British territory of Pitcairn Island through Tahiti, according to two US officials.

The US State Department declined to share specifics about the woman, but told PEOPLE that the Trump administration has "no higher priority" than the safety and security of Americans.

The outbreak aboard the cruise ship resulted in multiple infections and at least three deaths. Health authorities subsequently launched monitoring and quarantine measures for passengers who may have been exposed to the virus.

Complications arose when French Polynesian authorities reportedly refused to allow the woman to return through Tahiti because she had not disclosed her potential exposure to the virus while transiting through the territory.

As a result, she became effectively stranded on Pitcairn Island, which has a population of roughly 50 residents and lacks commercial air service.

“When an American is at risk abroad and unable to access commercial transportation, the Department of State seeks to provide appropriate assistance to get them home to the United States or to another safe location," a State Department spokesperson said.

Private yacht charter arranged as State Department faces budget strain

To remove the woman from the island, the State Department reportedly chartered a private vessel known as the Titaina Explorer.

The yacht is transporting her from Pitcairn Island to Easter Island, a Chilean territory that has commercial flight connections, allowing her to continue her journey back to the United States.

The evacuation comes at a time when the State Department's emergency response fund is facing pressure from several international crises, including evacuations linked to conflict in the Middle East and preparations for potential responses to disease outbreaks elsewhere.

British authorities sought American help in evacuating the woman from the island, according to the government document about the cost of the evacuation and a US official, per the AP report.

US officials told the AP that the woman had no political or celebrity connections and they did not know exactly when she would return to the US.

Despite the high cost, the State Department said it seeks to assist Americans abroad when they are unable to access commercial transportation and face risks that prevent them from returning home safely.