IOS - Emergency Evacuation

[southt00]

Hi:

 

Just back from Indy cruise. There was an emergency evacuation yesterday. Had to redirect the ship for a short period of time to get out of Cuban airspace so a helicopter could land. Took the helicopter quite a few minutes to land. Felt like 20 - 30 minutes. Not too sure how long. I can't imagine what the family of the injured/sick person must have felt like waiting for the helicopter. Seas were smooth so not sure what the dilemma was. Safety is paramount, so maybe they were just being precautious? I hope the person is mending well. Anyone know how the person is doing or what happened?

 

T.

[Sue L]

Practically every cruise I have been on there has been a medivac situation. You are on a small city and as in any small city there are illness and injuries. Most likely it was a heart attack or something similar that the medical staff on board felt they needed more attention then they could provide.

[matj2000]

Looking at most of the people onboard, there is definitly a few heart attacks waiting to happen.

[Rancher Dave]

Practically every cruise I have been on there has been a medivac situation. You are on a small city and as in any small city there are illness and injuries. Most likely it was a heart attack or something similar that the medical staff on board felt they needed more attention then they could provide.

 

Dang Sue...almost as bad as my record on Voyager, with fog...in fact the only evac in all my cruises (at least via USCG) was also on the VOTS.

 

Agree hopefully the person taken to the hospital is doing well.

[Sue L]

Dang Sue...almost as bad as my record on Voyager, with fog...in fact the only evac in all my cruises (at least via USCG) was also on the VOTS.

 

Agree hopefully the person taken to the hospital is doing well.

 

Last one on the Brilliance we had to turn around and go back to Venice so the person could be offloaded by the boat.

[willysgrandma]

Everytime I hear a story like this my first thought is "I Hope they had travel insurance...."

[Twaincruisers]

We've only experienced a few helicopter evacs, most from RCI ships with copter landing on the pad. On one I was outside as close to top as they would allow and the ship swerved and rocked sharply in one direction as it changed course; downstairs my wife was in a towel folding class and the crew instructor told them the rocking was due to the copter landing!! All these rescues were during the day except one that happened late at night on an old ship and the copter had to hover and take patients off by basket.

[zekekelso]

Landing a helicopter safely on a moving ship is inherently hard. Even in camp seas, there's a not of movement.

[GTO-Girl]

Everytime I hear a story like this my first thought is "I Hope they had travel insurance...."

 

That's exactly what I hope too......

[squeeks]

March 08 on enchantment of the seas the ships Captain had to be air lifted off after he had a heart attack, we were at coco cay still on the ship

 

[Aquahound]

Took the helicopter quite a few minutes to land. Felt like 20 - 30 minutes. Not too sure how long. I can't imagine what the family of the injured/sick person must have felt like waiting for the helicopter. Seas were smooth so not sure what the dilemma was. Safety is paramount, so maybe they were just being precautious?

 

There is quite a bit of prep to be done prior to a helo landing. They have to drop the railings all around the pad, drop the forward mast, and remove all the benches that are bolted to the deck. They then have to clear all loose materials from the entire bow section. Then, the helo pilot and ship's bridge officers have to coordinate the landing. The helo directs the ship on what heading to take so the helo can face in to the wind while landing.

[EVALUATOR]

There is quite a bit of prep to be done prior to a helo landing. They have to drop the railings all around the pad, drop the forward mast, and remove all the benches that are bolted to the deck. They then have to clear all loose materials from the entire bow section. Then, the helo pilot and ship's bridge officers have to coordinate the landing. The helo directs the ship on what heading to take so the helo can face in to the wind while landing.

 

They are also supposed to have a full fire crew ready in case things go terribly wrong. On our recent Liberty trip they actually landed on the pier in Labadee instead of on the ships helipad. The Second Officer was mentioning that fire at sea is the greatest fear for a cruise ship. Given reasonable options, they always look for alternatives to landing on the ships.

[smatterchu]

They didn't land on the ship - the Captain's announcements were describing using the basket...once for the patient and again for the nurse and equipment...

 

I had never seen a medical emergency onboard, but it was good to see how quickly they mobilized.

 

Like many of you, I thought about insurance -- hope so...

 

My thoughts are with the family...

[Aquahound]

They didn't land on the ship - the Captain's announcements were describing using the basket...once for the patient and again for the nurse and equipment...

 

That can be timely as well. They have to await Flight Surgeon approval from land prior hoisting the person.

[smatterchu]

That can be timely as well. They have to await Flight Surgeon approval from land prior hoisting the person.

 

I can't even imagine! I was diving in the Keys and had to be rescued by a Coast Guard a few years ago -- as it hovered/circled overhead (as a marker for the big boat that was coming for us), all I could think of was, "OMG, I hope I'm not going to have to be lifted up into that thing!!!" I could just imagine Lucy Ricardo -- so I was so relieved to see a boat.

 

I can't imagine being in a medical emergency and have to be lifted like that - I'm guessing they are sedated or something beforehand -- I'd have to be...

[Aquahound]

I can't even imagine! I was diving in the Keys and had to be rescued by a Coast Guard a few years ago -- as it hovered/circled overhead (as a marker for the big boat that was coming for us), all I could think of was, "OMG, I hope I'm not going to have to be lifted up into that thing!!!" I could just imagine Lucy Ricardo -- so I was so relieved to see a boat.

 

I can't imagine being in a medical emergency and have to be lifted like that - I'm guessing they are sedated or something beforehand -- I'd have to be...

 

How long ago was that? I am a former CG boat coxswain and was stationed in Key West. If it was prior to 2001, I may have been the boat driver who picked you up. That would be weird, huh? :)

[wrp96]

March 08 on enchantment of the seas the ships Captain had to be air lifted off after he had a heart attack, we were at coco cay still on the ship

 

 

 

Just an FYI, he didn't have a heart attack.

[negc]

On two of our westbound transatlantic cruises (Celebrity Constellation in 2007, and Jewel of the Seas in 2009) the Canadian Coast Guard had to send a helicopter out to medically evacuate a passenger. In each case the copter hovered over the ship but did not land. A basket was lowered along with two Coast Guardsmen and eventually the patient was strapped to the basket and raised up to the copter which then proceeded to Newfoundland. On the first occasion, family were able to get off in St. John's when the ship arrived there the following day. Last year they had to wait until the ship arrived in Boston before they could make arrangements to go to Newfoundland to meet the patient. Not sure of the reason that the Connie passenger had to be evacuated, but on the Jewel, the passenger fell and incurred multiple leg fractures.

[zoomerica]

That's cool they landed, well aside from the reason anyhow. I was under the impression they basketed most or all the time. Even the mighty QM2 helipad is marked Low Hover. Perhaps more due to immovable masts and such.

 

I do hope the person is mending and enjoyed their cruise. We like to think of ourselves as invincible (less so as the date on DL grows ever further) but on vacation, I couldn't fathom...

[SEASONEDCRUZER]

Looking at most of the people onboard, there is definitly a few heart attacks waiting to happen.

 

Yet another snarky completely unhelpful reply-give it a rest YEEESH! :mad:

[Iacruiser]

We were on the FOS on the 28th of february on the Eastern sailing and before we left they took a young man off the ship on a stretcher and seemed like every port we were in there was an ambulance waiting but never did hear what had happened. Like you said with that many people on a ship there is bound to be some problems. That's why we always take out the insurance. It is very costly to be taken off or even go to the hospital below. Does anyone know what happened on that cruise?

[Ashland]

I was also just on the INDY...Amazing view I had of the Coast Guard helicopter from my balcony on deck 9....They were amazing as they hovered over the ship not actually landing, 5 times before making the transfers with their basket..Captian Remo gave great reports before, during and after..We were told they were transporting to the Bahamas..Hope all went well..Thanks to the Coast Guard !!!!

[mechcc]

I do hope and pray the individual taken off the ship is recovering.

 

That said - have been on 10 cruises and yet the most memorable memory was on the first cruise. Unfortunatly, someone had a heart attack and we headed north towards New Orleans and met up with a Coast Guard helicopter. We were on the Rhapsody OTS which doesn't have the landing spot on the bow so we watched the Coast Guard repel down to the ship, send the patient up in the basket, send the nurse from the ship up to the helicopter, and lastly the Coast Guard member went back up to the helicpter. Absolutly amazing.

 

As an Army veteran - my hat is off to the Coast Guard and their difficult challenges.