U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Gabriel Wisdom.
NEW ORLEANS — The Coast Guard medevac a 76-year-old male passenger from the cruise ship Carnival Dream approximately 300 nautical miles offshore Fort Morgan, Alabama. Saturday, April 29, 2023.
Coast Guard Sector Mobile watchstanders received a call at approximately 4:31 a.m. from the crew of the Carnival Dream cruise ship requesting a medevac for a passenger aboard experiencing heart attack-like symptoms.
The Sector Mobile watchstanders coordinated the launch of Coast Guard Aviation Training Center Mobile HC-144 Ocean Sentry and Coast Guard Air Station New Orleans MH-60T Jayhawk aircrews to assist.
The MH-60T Jayhawk Medium-Range Recovery Helicopter aircrew arrived on scene and lowered their rescue swimmer. While hoisting a cruise ship nurse, a severe squall caused the aircrew to back off from the ship. The rescue helicopter then encountered a severe downwind, prompting the aircrew to recover the aircraft close to the water’s surface. Both the MH-60T Jayhawk helicopter and the HC-144 Ocean Sentry aircraft returned to base due to weather.
The patient was experiencing heart-attack-like symptoms and was brought to University Medical Center in New Orleans.
U.S. Coast Guard video.
U.S. Coast Guard Sector Mobile.
U.S. Coast Guard Air Station New Orleans.
U.S. Coast Guard Aviation Training Center.
Go Coast Guard New Orleans.
U.S. Coast Guard Atlantic Area.
U.S. Coast Guard Heartland.
Commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard.
Department of Homeland Security.
A second Air Station New Orleans MH-60T Jayhawk MRR helicopter aircrew later returned to the scene, deployed the rescue swimmer, hoisted the patient and transferred the patient to awaiting emergency medical services (EMS) personnel at University Medical Center in New Orleans.
“Yesterday, Coast Guard Air Station New Orleans responded to a medical evacuation from the cruise ship Carnival Dream,» said Cmdr. Keith Blair, commanding officer, Air Station New Orleans. «During the rescue, the aircrew experienced severe and rapidly deteriorating weather that forced them to abort the mission. Through exceptional real-time risk management, crew resource management, and superb piloting, the aircrew was able to safely recover the aircraft and land at the air station without further incident. Through continual coordination with U.S. Coast Guard 8th District, Sector Mobile, and Aviation Training Center Mobile, Air Station New Orleans was able to later return to the cruise ship and recover the patient and USCG rescue swimmer, delivering the patient to University Medical Center for treatment in stable condition.”
For more information follow us on Facebook and Twitter.
–USCG–
For more Hlcopters Magazine breaking news, stories, images and videos visit hlcopters.com and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube
The appearance of U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) visual information does not imply or constitute DoD endorsement.
