US Air Force Rescue Team Airlifts Critically Ill Passenger from Carnival Cruise Ship in Atlantic

On May 4, a critically ill passenger was airlifted from the Carnival cruise ship, Venezia, which was approximately 350 nautical miles (around 400 land miles or 645 kilometers) away from the US mainland in the open Atlantic waters. The 920th Rescue Wing, a division of the US Air Force, carried out the daring rescue mission involving two HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopters, two HC-130J Combat King II aircraft, and two teams of combat rescue officers and pararescuemen, who were dispatched from Patrick Space Force Base in Florida. Due to the vast expanse that required coverage, the rescue wing employed helicopter air-to-air refueling techniques, also known as HAAR, which allows for mid-flight fuel transfer between the helicopter and the HC-130J aircraft through a probe and a drogue, respectively. As soon as the team reached the Carnival Venezia, they descended using ropes and prepared the patient for transportation. The individual and his mother were lifted into the helicopter, and the former received immediate medical care during the flight to a nearby hospital on the US mainland. The Air Force spokesperson confirmed that the patient was successfully transferred to a hospital in the US, and the entire mission lasted a total of around eight hours, covering over 1,200 miles. The cruise line reported that it collaborated with Air Force and US Coast Guard authorities to change the course of the ship to meet the medical evacuation helicopter. After landing safely, the Carnival Venezia proceeded with its original itinerary, arriving in New York as planned on the following day.