The U.S. State Department spent $750,000 to charter a private yacht to evacuate a single American citizen from Pitcairn Island after she was potentially exposed to hantavirus aboard a cruise ship, according to U.S. officials and internal government documents.

The woman had been aboard the Dutch cruise ship MV Hondius in April when a hantavirus outbreak occurred. After disembarking, she traveled through San Francisco to the remote British territory of Pitcairn Island via Tahiti. The cruise ship continued to other destinations where passengers fell ill and at least three people died from the outbreak.

Pitcairn Island, with only about 50 inhabitants and no airport, presented significant logistical challenges for evacuation. Initial attempts to transport the woman to Tahiti were rejected by French Polynesian authorities because she had not disclosed her potential exposure during her earlier transit through the territory. British authorities, who govern Pitcairn, requested urgent American assistance in the evacuation.

The evacuation was ultimately arranged using the "Titaina Explorer," a trimaran yacht owned by a French explorer. The yacht departed Pitcairn on June 5 for Easter Island, a Chilean territory with direct flights to Santiago, allowing the woman to return to the United States for potential treatment. The voyage can take up to 10 days depending on weather conditions.

The costly evacuation has strained the State Department's emergency fund, known as the "K Fund," which has been depleted by multiple recent evacuations from Middle East conflicts and preparations for potential Ebola-related evacuations. The fund is now at its lowest level in seven years, with the department considering transferring up to $50 million from other accounts to replenish it.

The woman showed no symptoms at the time of evacuation, according to officials who spoke anonymously due to medical privacy laws. The State Department declined to comment on specifics but said it seeks to provide appropriate assistance when Americans are at risk abroad and unable to access commercial transportation.