San Juan Islands residents brave ferry lines, medevacs to get to the doctor

Residents of Washington’s San Juan Islands say they routinely face long, unpredictable ferry journeys to reach doctors and specialists—sometimes delaying care until emergencies. Bonnie Oak Boesky, who has lived there for more than 40 years, described urgent cases that required medevacs, including a twin’s severe allergies and asthma, and a full-body rash that led to an emergency flight from the island to a hospital in Bellingham. She said the storm made fixed-wing travel impossible and there was no room for a parent on the helicopter, forcing her to race to the ferry at night. Stories also include delays of hours, cancellations, and a priority boarding system at Orcas Island terminal used by about 20 to 25 people daily.