How the Patrick Air Force Base crews rescued the Royal Caribbean passenger 600 miles off Cape Canaveral

Tess Sheets
Florida Today
Citizen Airmen Reservists with the 920th Rescue Wing, Patrick Air Force
Base, Florida, prepare for a long-range rescue of a cruise ship passenger
who required medical evacuation approximately 500 nautical miles off the
coast of Florida Nov. 7, 2017.

When Citizen-Airmen of the 920th Rescue Wing were alerted Tuesday that a passenger was ill on board a Royal Caribbean cruise ship some 600 miles off the coast of Cape Canaveral, they sprung to action. 

"Our guys train for this type of stuff," said Sgt. Lindsey Maurice of the 920th Rescue Wing, whose unit carried out a daring, long-range rescue. "You never want to see someone get hurt, but our reserve citizen airmen train hard. They're well prepared." 

Officials say the man was suffering from appendicitis aboard the 2,000-passenger cruise ship Grandeur of the Seas that was returning to Baltimore, Maryland.  The cruise ship had departed Oct. 28 from Baltimore to the Caribbean. 

The unidentified man and his wife were eventually airlifted to Holmes Regional Medical Center, but not before 25 crew members, three air crafts and four mid-air refuelings— two on the way to the ship and two on the way back— were needed to retrieve him. 

Royal Caribbean did not immediately respond with comments on the rescue. 

Citizen Airmen Reservists with the 920th Rescue Wing, Patrick Air Force
Base, Florida, load rescue equipment into an HC-130N King fixed-wing combat
rescue aircraft in preparation for the long-range rescue of a cruise ship
passenger who required medical evacuation approximately 500 nautical miles
off the coast of Florida Nov. 7, 2017.

The 920th Rescue Wing's missions typically include deployments in Africa and southeast Asia, where the airmen complete various rescue operations — most notably, search and rescue missions for U.S. armed forces and military personnel during military operations.

This was only the second long-range civilian mission the crew has carried out this year. This first took place in July when two German citizens were stranded at sea after their boat caught fire, said air force officials.

More:Patrick Air Force rescue team saves father, son stranded at sea after boat catches on fire

“A lot of the times when there are rescues, it’s usually done by the Coast Guard because it’s closer," Maurice said. 

But when the cruise ship contacted the 5th District Coast Guard in Virginia, crew members knew the Grandeur of the Seas vessel was too far out. Distress calls from Baltimore fall under the jurisdiction of the 5th District. 

"They got the notification and notified the coordination center," Maurice said. "The Coast Guard can’t go out that far.”

The 5th District Coast Guard completed six medical evacuation rescue missions since October in their combined areas of responsibility: the Mid-Atlantic, Baltimore and Atlantic City. In one rescue, the crew even evacuated a woman who injured her hip on board a Viking cruise ship, but the vessel was only 180 miles off shore, according to a news release.

Incidents like Tuesday's long-range mission don't happen often, officials say. 

"This case does stand out to me," said Nate Littlejohn, petty officer second class for the Coast Guard. "It's not often that it happens and it's great to work with the Air Force."

Two Air Force Reserve HH-60 Pave Hawk helicopter crews with the 920th Rescue
Wing depart from Patrick Air Force Base, Florida, for the long-range rescue
of a cruise ship passenger who required medical evacuation approximately 500
nautical miles off the coast of Florida Nov. 7, 2017. After rescuing the
patient from the ship, the crew transported him to Holmes Regional Medical
Center.

Eight Citizen-Airmen set off at about 1:30 p.m. Tuesday, piloting two HH-60 Pave Hawk helicopters with four Guardian Angel Para-Rescue Airmen on board. 

An hour later, seven more airmen flew an HC-130N King fixed-wing combat rescue aircraft with six more Guardian Angels in tow. After two mid-air refuelings, the crew arrived at the ship. 

Officials say the man was in stable condition when they transported him. He is recovering in the hospital. 

The cost of the rescue was not immediately available. 

Sheets is a breaking news reporter at FLORIDA TODAY.

Contact Sheets at 317-444-3208

or tsheets@floridatoday.com.

Twitter: @sheets_tess