920th Rescue Wing performs dramatic medical rescue at sea from cruise ship in Atlantic

A dramatic helicopter rescue at sea by Brevard-based military personnel has captured international attention. The rescue from a cruise ship sailing off the Atlantic coast involved a child with a medical emergency.

The 920th Rescue Wing said it successfully conducted the civilian medical airlift operation of a patient aboard the Carnival Venezia while the cruise ship was more than 350 nautical miles off the East Coast on Saturday.

The rescue involved a child with a medical condition and the child's mother. Details about the patient were not disclosed.

In a statement from the 920th Rescue Wing at Patrick Space Force Base, officials said that, within hours of receiving the call for assistance, the 920th Rescue Wing prepared and launched a rescue force consisting of two HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopters, two HC-130J Combat King II aircraft and two teams of combat rescue officers and pararescuemen to fly to the cruise ship. The personnel safely removed the patient from the ship for transport to a medical center.

When the mission commander arrived on location, two HC-130J aircraft circled the airspace to assess the situation and assumed on-scene command. Then, HH-60 helicopters approached the ship to execute the rescue.

Officials said pararescue personnel were hoisted down, and immediately began preparing the patient. Then the patient and his mother were hoisted up into the helicopter, where the boy received medical attention while on route to a hospital.

“Everyone in the wing mobilized with exceptional speed," said Capt. Dylan Gann, a pilot with the 301st Rescue Squadron. "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.”

Reaching the ship’s remote location required three helicopter air-to-air refuelings. Those refuelings involve connecting a probe from the helicopter to a drogue on the HC-130J aircraft, allowing fuel transfer mid-flight.

Officials said, as part of this mission, the wing assembled an operations center battle staff to coordinate all aspects of the rescue. This included everything from personnel to monitor weather in the rescue zone to flight doctors used to find the right treatment facility for the patient. The information was transmitted to the rescue force while they were on the way to the scene.

They said the mission encompassed more than eight hours, with the patient successfully transferred to a hospital in the United States.

In commenting on the rescue, Lt. Col. John Lowe, 920th Operations Group commander, said: “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."

The Carnival Venezia had been on a 10-day cruise from New York City to the Eastern Caribbean when the medical emergency occurred.

In a statement, Carnival Cruise Line said: "Carnival Venezia's team worked with United States Coast Guard and Air Force officials to adjust its course Saturday so a medical helicopter could rendezvous with the ship when a guest on board needed treatment ashore. The ship then resumed its route to New York, arriving as scheduled Monday morning."

Based at Patrick Space Force Base, the 920th Rescue Wing is Air Force Reserve Command’s only combat search-and-rescue wing. Its primary mission is to plan, lead and conduct military rescue operations and missions to deny adversaries exploitation of isolated personnel.

Dave Berman is business editor at FLORIDA TODAY. Contact Berman at dberman@floridatoday.com, on X at @bydaveberman and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/dave.berman.54