A 37-year-old woman with a severe infection was transported by air today from Hilo to Honolulu with the help of the Coast Guard and a group of medical volunteers.

The Coast Guard said they received a call from the state Department of Health at about 9:20 p.m. Friday, requesting a transport for the woman to a higher level of medical care.

A Coast Guard HC-130 Hercules aircrew along with a medical volunteer team called Kalawao Rescue took the woman aboard in Hilo this morning and transferred her to emergency medical personnel at Barbers Point at about 6:30 a.m. today.

She was then transferred to the Queen’s Medical Center for treatment.

Coast Guard Petty Officer 3rd Class Amanda Wyrick said the state requested the Coast Guard’s assistance because officials wanted to provide additional health care and staffing during transport due to the severity of the woman’s infection. The additional weight from the extra care and staffing required a fixed-wing aircraft.

The volunteer crew, Kalawao Rescue, is comprised of medical professionals and is part of the nonprofit Hawaii Healthcare Emergency Management. They respond to medical disasters within the state and also have an agreement to assist the Coast Guard with medical emergencies.