The Carnival Venezia was about 350 nautical miles from the U.S., on the way back to port in New York City on May 4 when the passenger needed to be taken from the ship.
Carnival, the Air Force and the U.S. Coast Guard worked to adjust the ship’s course to meet the military crew.
The 920th Rescue Wing from Patrick Space Force Base in Brevard County, Florida, sent “two HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopters, two HC-130J Combat King II aircraft and two teams of combat rescue officers and pararescuemen” to get the person off the ship and to a medical facility.
They used flight doctors to make sure the patient was taken to an appropriate hospital for their condition.
The remote ocean location was so far from the home port of the rescue wing that it took three helicopter air-to-air refuelings to get out and back, the Air Force said in a news release.
Air rescue An HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopter receives fuel from an HC-130J Combat King II hose-and-drogue system during a civil search and rescue operation of a medically ill person aboard a cruise ship 350 miles off the eastern coast of U.S. May 4, 2024. The mission, carried out by two HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopters, two HC-130J Combat King II aircraft and pararescuemen required three air-to-air refuelings to complete the mission. The rescue mission covered just under 1,000 miles round trip over open ocean and was completed in 8 hours. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Darius Sostre-Miroir) (Tech. Sgt. Darius Sostre-Miroir/920th Rescue Wing)
When they got to the Venezia, the pararescuemen were hoisted to the cruise ship and prepared the patient and his mother for the airlift. Then when they were on the helicopter, the servicemen gave the patient medical attention during the flight to the hospital.
In all the rescue mission lasted 8 hours and more than 1,000 miles.
The Venezia sailed from New York City and made several stops in the Bahamas and Caribbean before returning to the port.
CNN reached out to the Air Force and Carnival Cruise Line and neither had an update on the patient’s condition or what hospital he was taken to.
Air rescue The 920th Rescue Wing conducted a civil search and rescue operation of a medically ill person aboard a cruise ship 350 miles off the eastern coast of U.S. May 4, 2024. The mission, carried out by two HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopters, two HC-130J Combat King II aircraft and pararescuemen required three air-to-air refuelings to complete the mission. The rescue mission covered just under 1,000 miles round trip over open ocean and was completed in 8 hours. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Darius Sostre-Miroir) (Tech. Sgt. Darius Sostre-Miroir/920th Rescue Wing)
Air rescue The 920th Rescue Wing conducted a civil search and rescue operation of a medically ill person aboard a cruise ship 350 miles off the eastern coast of U.S. May 4, 2024. The mission, carried out by two HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopters, two HC-130J Combat King II aircraft and pararescuemen required three air-to-air refuelings to complete the mission. The rescue mission covered just under 1,000 miles round trip over open ocean and was completed in 8 hours. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Darius Sostre-Miroir) (Tech. Sgt. Darius Sostre-Miroir/920th Rescue Wing)
Air rescue (920th Rescue Wing)
Air rescue The 920th Rescue Wing conducted a civil search and rescue operation of a medically ill person aboard a cruise ship 350 miles off the eastern coast of U.S. May 4, 2024. The mission, carried out by two HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopters, two HC-130J Combat King II aircraft and pararescuemen required three air-to-air refuelings to complete the mission. The rescue mission covered just under 1,000 miles round trip over open ocean and was completed in 8 hours. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Darius Sostre-Miroir) (Tech. Sgt. Darius Sostre-Miroir/920th Rescue Wing)
Air rescue (920th Rescue Wing)
Air rescue (920th Rescue Wing)
Air rescue (920th Rescue Wing)
Air rescue (920th Rescue Wing)
Air rescue An HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopter receives fuel from an HC-130J Combat King II hose-and-drogue system during a civil search and rescue operation of a medically ill person aboard a cruise ship 350 miles off the eastern coast of U.S. May 4, 2024. The mission, carried out by two HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopters, two HC-130J Combat King II aircraft and pararescuemen required three air-to-air refuelings to complete the mission. The rescue mission covered just under 1,000 miles round trip over open ocean and was completed in 8 hours. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Darius Sostre-Miroir) (Tech. Sgt. Darius Sostre-Miroir/920th Rescue Wing)