The US Coast Guard has released dramatic footage of the moment a pregnant woman was airlifted from a Disney cruise ship after suffering “health complications”.
An MH-60T Jayhawk helicopter was filmed landing on the bow of the Disney Fantasy ship which was sailing 180 miles northwest of Aguadilla in Porto Rico.
“The medical evacuation patient was a 35-year-old pregnant female, U.S. citizen, who experienced health complications and required a higher level of medical care ashore,” the Coast Guard said in a statement.
In a video shared on social media, a member of the helicopter crew is seen attaching the stretcher to a rope which is then hoisted up, lifting the passenger into the plane.
The pregnant passenger was taken to Fernando Luis Ribas Dominicci Airport in San Juan, where emergency personnel were waiting, the U.S. Coast Guard said.
She was then transported to Centro Medico Hospital for treatment.
“Our crew was able to quickly, safely and efficiently execute a long-range medical evacuation so the patient received the higher level of care she needed,” said Lt. Commander Todd Stephens.
“This case demonstrates the value of good crew resource management and the capabilities of our Jayhawk helicopter.”
Ensign Michael Riccio, the Coast Guard officer handling the case, added: “We are pleased that everything came together to help this passenger.”
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He added: “The skill displayed by the Disney Fantasy crew and the Coast Guard personnel and units involved made all the difference.”
THE Disney Cruise Line is a subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company.
It operates five ships that sail around the world, calling at destinations in Europe, Australia, Alaska and the Bahamas, including the company’s private island, Castaway Cay.