Medical evacuation of elderly woman off Volendam of Queensland Coast Australia

[Australian family]

AN ELDERLY Sydney woman has been winched from a cruise ship off the coast of Rainbow Beach by a rescue helicopter crew on Monday morning.

 

An RACQ CareFlight Rescue spokeswoman said it was reported the woman, aged in her eighties, suffered a medical condition after boarding the Dutch ship Volendam with her daughter in Sydney on Saturday.

 

She said the woman was treated by the ship's doctor but when her condition worsened last night, the Sunshine Coast based RACQ CareFlight Rescue helicopter was tasked to the northwards-bound ship to leave at first light this morning.

 

Before 6am, the crew spotted the ship 60 nautical miles north east of their Sunshine Coast base and prepared for a winch rescue.

 

A Queensland Ambulance Service flight intensive care paramedic was winched down onto the front of the moving vessel about 40 nautical miles east of Rainbow Beach.

 

The CareFlight spokeswoman said the patient was treated, secured in a stretcher and winched aboard the helicopter.

 

She was flown in a stable condition to Nambour General Hospital where a Brisbane-based relative was said to have met her.

 

Watch video here:

 

http://www.sunshinecoastdaily.com.au/news/woman-winched-moving-cruise-ship-rainbow-beach/2462498/

[GUT2407]

Hope she's OK.

 

Boy I'm thankful that we have organisations like care flight and rescue helicopters in this country.

 

If you are reading this please consider giving them a donation, they don't even charge for their services.

[puppycanducruise]

Amazing, thanks for the link.

A big thank you to those that provide this invaluable service.

Best wishes to the passenger for a speedy recovery.

[RuthC]

Thank you for reporting this. It's always sad to have a medical emergency, but for it to happen while away from home, and need such an evacuation is so upsetting.

 

Best wishes to the patient for a full and speedy recovery. And much gratitude to the rescuers. It's nice to know such people are out there when the need arises.

[sail7seas]

It is quite remarkable the skill and bravery of those evacuation crews. No doubt they have saved many a life and hopefully this lady will be another who responds well to her treatment.

 

Thanks for sharing with us.

 

[USN59-79]

I am surprised that the ship didn't stop for the rescue. Seems like it would be simpler if both the ship and helicopter were stationary.

[RDC1]

I am surprised that the ship didn't stop for the rescue. Seems like it would be simpler if both the ship and helicopter were stationary.

 

Might be easier from a moving ship. A major problem with helicopter operations over a ship is avoiding the ships exhaust from the stack. The heat of that exhaust can cause substantial loss of lift and even engine stalling. By keeping the ship moving you keep that exhaust away from the helicopter.

[maxout]

Might be easier from a moving ship. A major problem with helicopter operations over a ship is avoiding the ships exhaust from the stack. The heat of that exhaust can cause substantial loss of lift and even engine stalling. By keeping the ship moving you keep that exhaust away from the helicopter.

 

In addition, the stabilizers are much more effective while underway.

[PathfinderEss]

Thanks for the information, hope the women is ok now.

[KirkNC]

Thanks for the report, hopefully she will make a full recovery.

[erewhon]

Thank you for posting the link.

Hope the lady is making a good recovery.

[BruceMuzz]

I am surprised that the ship didn't stop for the rescue. Seems like it would be simpler if both the ship and helicopter were stationary.

 

When a ship has a Helicopter Medevac, the flight surgeon and the pilot of the helicopter make most of the decisions about how it will be done. Their lives are on the line if it goes wrong.

An hour or more before the operation, the ship receives very specific instructions about heading and speed. The ship complies. When the helo arrives and surveys the situation, the pilot gives whatever corrections he wants made before he gets close. The ship complies.

[sail7seas]

Thanks all who shared technical and logistical information with us. I am always interested in learning about various ship operations and particularly such skilled maneuver as evacuation at sea. Such skill and training needed for these procedures.

[Krazy Kruizers]

Thank you for the information.

Hope the woman is doing better by now.

[Alphen]

When a ship has a Helicopter Medevac, the flight surgeon and the pilot of the helicopter make most of the decisions about how it will be done. Their lives are on the line if it goes wrong.

An hour or more before the operation, the ship receives very specific instructions about heading and speed. The ship complies. When the helo arrives and surveys the situation, the pilot gives whatever corrections he wants made before he gets close. The ship complies.

 

Out of my own experience, I can add that in most cases, the helicopter needs the ship to make some forward speed. Believe it or not, but it is easier for a helicopter to hover above a moving ship, than a stationary one. This has to do with the amount of power (torque) needed to hover. With some forward movement, less torque is needed to hover. This is especially the case with a heavy helicopter (fuel) and also with added higher air temperature conditions. By means of trim, the pilot can adjust forward or even side movement, to fully adjust to the ships speed and course.

 

The information regarding hoist spot and desired course and speed of the target vessel, are mainly passed when the helicopter arrives on scene, mainly because the crew needs a visual of the current situation on board of the vessel and also the current wind. For helicopter operations, the wind relative to the ships course and speed is the important factor!

 

Procedures in all of the countries are not the same, regarding the place where to winch from. There are crews where the winch operator together with the frogman, decide upon the winch spot and clear this with the pilot, if he is able to position himself (guided by the winch man) above the spot and remain there during hoist operations.