A pregnant passenger on a Disney cruise was airlifted from the ship by the U.S. Coast Guard on Monday after experiencing medical complications, officials said.
The pregnant passenger, described as a 35-year-old U.S. citizen, was aboard the Disney Fantasy approximately 180 miles northwest of Aguadilla, Puerto Rico, when she "experienced health complications and required a higher level of medical care ashore," the Coast Guard said in a statement Tuesday.
The Disney crew contacted the Coast Guard for assistance and watchstanders in Sector San Juan deployed an MH-60T Jayhawk helicopter from Air Station Borinquen and an HC-144 Ocean Sentry aircraft from Air Station Miami to meet the cruise ship.
Video released by the Coast Guard shows the Jayhawk crew deploying a rescue swimmer to the deck of the ship, where they prepared a rescue basket and litter to hoist the patient and the cruise ship's doctor aboard the aircraft.
The patient was flown to the Fernando Luis Ribas Dominicci Airport in San Juan, Puerto Rico, where local emergency medical personnel were waiting to transport the patient to the local ‘Centro Medico’ Hospital, the Coast Guard said.
"Our crew was able to quickly, safely, and efficiently execute a long-range MEDEVAC for the patient to receive the higher level of care she required. This case demonstrates the value of good crew resource management and the capabilities of our Jayhawk helicopter," Lt. Cmdr. Todd Stephens said in a statement.
“We are glad everything came together to help this passenger,” said Ensign Michael Riccio, Coast Guard Sector San Juan operations unit leader for the case. “The competency displayed by the Disney Fantasy crew and the Coast Guard personnel and units involved made all the difference.”
Story via TMX