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Woman Airlifted from Disney Cruise Ship by U.S. Coast Guard
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Drone footage captured the dramatic moment when a pregnant woman was airlifted from a Disney cruise ship by the U.S. Coast Guard on Monday. The rescue operation took place as the Disney Fantasy was floating in the Atlantic Ocean northwest of Puerto Rico.
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In the video shared by the Coast Guard, a rescuer can be seen rappelling down from an MH-60T Jayhawk helicopter onto the cruise ship. The 35-year-old woman, who required a higher level of medical care than what was available on board, was strapped to a gurney and reeled into the helicopter during the heart-pounding rescue.
According to the Coast Guard, watchstanders in Sector San Juan received a communication from the Disney Fantasy on Monday morning, requesting medevac assistance as the cruise ship was transiting 260 nautical miles northwest of Aguadilla, Puerto Rico. In response, the Coast Guard deployed their Jayhawk aircrew, who executed the rescue operation with precision.
An HC-144 Ocean Sentry aircraft from Air Station Miami was also flown in to support the rescue effort. The pregnant passenger was airlifted to Fernando Luis Ribas Dominicci Airport in San Juan, Puerto Rico, from where she was transported to Centro Medico Hospital for further medical attention.
Lt. Cmdr. Todd Stephens praised the crew’s quick and efficient execution of the long-range medevac, emphasizing the value of good crew resource management and the capabilities of the Jayhawk helicopter. Ensign Michael Riccio, Coast Guard Sector San Juan operations unit leader for the case, commended the competency displayed by both the Disney Fantasy crew and the Coast Guard personnel involved in the rescue operation.
The Disney cruise had departed from Port Canaveral, Florida, two days prior and was sailing a seven-night itinerary in the Eastern Caribbean. It was scheduled to visit Tortola on Tuesday and dock in St. Thomas on Wednesday before heading to Disney’s private island, Castaway Cay, and returning to port.
As of the time of reporting, Disney Cruise Line had not issued a comment on the incident.
