A "critical" patient and his mother were successfully airlifted from a Carnival cruise ship hundreds of miles from shore by U.S. Air Force combat rescue teams on Saturday, May 4.
Knewz.com has learned the 920th Rescue Wing, based at Patrick Space Force Base in Florida, is the Air Force Reserve Command’s only combat search and rescue wing, and typically conducts military rescue operations. But the unit mobilized within hours of the distress call from the Carnival Venezia, which was around 400 miles offshore on its way back to New York from the Caribbean.
The 920th Rescue Wing deployed two HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopters and two HC-130J Combat King II aircraft, carrying two teams of combat rescue officers and pararescuemen.
Because the cruise ship was located more than 350 nautical miles off the East Coast of the U.S., reaching it required three helicopter air-to-air refuelings, the Air Force said. The refuelings involve connecting probe from the helicopter to an HC-130J to transfer fuel mid-flight.
An assembled wing operations center battle staff coordinated the rescue across the wing, relaying information from maintenance to weather to the on-scene team. Flight doctors worked to find the right treatment facility for the patient and relayed that information to the rescue force.
While the two HC-130J aircraft circled the cruise ship's airspace, the helicopters approached the ship and pararescuemen dropped down to prepare the patient and his mother, who were then hoisted into a helicopter. The patient received medical attention on board while en route to a hospital.
“Everyone in the wing mobilized with exceptional speed. By uniting our efforts, we saved crucial time, delivering life-saving assistance six hours ahead of other response teams. Our collective determination and efficiency ensured the successful rescue and transport of the individual in need,” Capt. Dylan Gann, 301st Rescue Squadron pilot, said in a statement.
The nature of the medical emergency was not specified, with the patient only described as being in a critical condition, but the Air Force said the patient was successfully transported to a hospital in the U.S.
By the time the mission was complete and all the aircraft returned to Patrick SFB, eight hours had elapsed.
“This is what ready now looks like. These real-world missions are what our countless hours of training have prepared us for. Rescue was able to plan and execute this mission without hesitation. This combined arms team is highly trained in their field while understanding what role they play in the bigger picture and led to the successful completion of the mission,” said Lt. Col. John Lowe, 920th Operations Group commander.
—TMX contributed to this report.