Medical E-Vac on Eclipse

[kevinyork]

We are just off Eclipse and on our last sea day we had an Emergency Helicoptor lift of a cardiac patient and his wife. The Captain announced the arrival of the helicoptor from the UK Coastguard and it encouraged a huge rush of passengers to the front of the ship. A few minutes later crew arrived and tried to get passengers to move back to the sides behind the glass screens but it was an effort. The crew eventually placed sun lounges across the area to keep people back but passengers continued to climb over the sun loungers amd crew were trying to be forceful in pushing them back.

 

The helicopter had to withdraw and circle many times until the crew had pushed passengers back and still some passengers literally pushed against crew member to get a photo.

 

To be honest we felt ashamed. Perhaps the anouncement re the helicoptor arriving could have advised passsengers where to avoid but the clambering of some passengers to get photos left me feeling sick.

 

I hope that the evacuated passenger is well but think more could have been done to stop a terrible situation become a spectacle for passengers.

 

 

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[Fouremco]

We had two helicopter medivacs on the same cruise (not Celebrity) a couple of years ago and the passengers were far better behaved and compliant with the Captain's request to keep away from some forward areas of the ship. Lots of photo ops of the approach and departure from elsewhere on the ship, and the forward cameras allowed those really interested to watch the landing, boarding and take off on their cabin TVs.

 

I guess there's no accounting for some people's behaviour.

[Keith1010]

I am not sure why people feel they have to take photos and be outside.

 

On another cruise line we had a helicopter evacuation and just for the safety of everyone involved we were all asked to remain inside the ship.

 

But guest what, some ignored the Captain.

 

Why? Because some people do not believe in following orders/requests.

 

I hope the person who is evacuated is doing well.

 

As I often say, when we cruise we see the best and once in a while the worst in people. I wish it was all the best.

 

Keith

Edited July 12, 2015 by Keith1010

[ClaudiaB]

Seriously. What is WRONG with people??????

 

I do hope the passengers were ok and that the delay, however minimal, wasn't an issue.

 

On almost every cruise we've been on there has been some kind of medical "issue". I don't remember passengers being in the way or causing problems. On one, we had left our port for two days at sea and after about three hours we returned to port so that a passenger could disembark because of a medical emergency. I think we were at the dock less than 30 minutes.

[gdpups]

I was traveling with a friend several years ago on a Holland America ship and she had to be airlift off the first night by the US Coast Guards. It is a BIG ordeal to get someone off that way, very dangerous and many of the crew is involved.

 

It happened in the evening and all pubic areas to the front of the ship were closed to passengers. We watched the whole process from the safety of our balcony, just hard to believe the stupidity of some people!

[cruisestitch]

"The helicopter had to withdraw and circle many times until the crew had pushed passengers back"

 

I heard that same comment made while on board, and it seemed odd to me, because if the crew had wanted the passengers pushed back, believe me, they could have forced that to happen. Curious, I asked the Staff Captain about it when I saw him later that day, and he said that the helicopter circling had nothing to do with the passengers being on that deck, it had to to with the medical condition of the patient, the patient's spouse, and what needed to be done to get them ready to leave. It was safer for the helicopter to circle than to hover. I specifically asked if having the passengers on the top deck had been an issue and he said basically the same thing I wrote "if we needed them to move away, we could have brought enough Security personnel up there to handle the situation. They were not the issue"

 

That said, I am also appalled when I see passengers willfully disregarding the instructions of the staff. It is amazing to me that the "rules don't apply to me" mentality is so prevalent.

[TeaBag]

We had 3 medical evacuations on our Eclipse cruise in the Baltics last month. Nothing as dramatic as a helicopter needed which I guess would draw the people as would the announcement. Why can they not think about the poor patient and spouse whose cruise is ended and maybe worse than that? Ours were quiet, one of them at 2AM (heard the noise of tender being let down but didn't know that's what it was till the Captain told us the next day.

[floridatravelersforlife]

"The helicopter had to withdraw and circle many times until the crew had pushed passengers back"

 

I heard that same comment made while on board, and it seemed odd to me, because if the crew had wanted the passengers pushed back, believe me, they could have forced that to happen. Curious, I asked the Staff Captain about it when I saw him later that day, and he said that the helicopter circling had nothing to do with the passengers being on that deck, it had to to with the medical condition of the patient, the patient's spouse, and what needed to be done to get them ready to leave. It was safer for the helicopter to circle than to hover. I specifically asked if having the passengers on the top deck had been an issue and he said basically the same thing I wrote "if we needed them to move away, we could have brought enough Security personnel up there to handle the situation. They were not the issue"

 

That said, I am also appalled when I see passengers willfully disregarding the instructions of the staff. It is amazing to me that the "rules don't apply to me" mentality is so prevalent.

 

I previously believed it was just plain stupid curiosity for such behavior but after several news spots here in Orlando i believe it is just plain greed. Get a good shot of a crisis event or catastrophe and you get paid handsomely. I am ashamed of our culture.

[rebeccalouiseagain]

Were the passengers Americans? I certainly hope not.

[Lois R]

You know it is all about "ME, ME", ME":eek::mad::(:rolleyes:.......and whatever

Nationality they happened to be? They are freakin idiots........

 

Had to vent after reading what happened........

 

Oh, I hope the passenger is going to be ok!!!

Edited July 12, 2015 by Lois R

[workstocruise]

Some people amaze me. I see it everyday on the highway when an ambulance is flying down the road behind you and the people in front of it won't pull over and get out the way. What's up with that??

We were on the Equinox last month and while leaving the buffet we got into an elevator with an older man and his wife. The man was using a walker and we could tell that he had possibly suffered a stroke at some time. We were with my sister and her DH and were on our way down to disembark for our shore excursion. The older couple were getting off about two floors down and when the elevator opened he was backing out and the walker got caught on something and he fell backwards onto the floor and hit his head. My DH and my BIL immediately jumped out and tended to him to see if he was alright, while 2 other couples who were waiting to board the elevator jumped on and started pushing buttons because they had a shore excursion to get to and didn't want to be late.

My sister and I got off and let them have the elevator so heaven forbid they wouldn't be late. We all helped the man get to his feet and they went on their way and we caught the next elevator. I did see him walking around the ship the next day so I guess he was okay. We also made it to our excursion with time to spare. It really is an All About Me world we live in today.

[cruisead]

There's no accounting for idiots. It's similar to the terrible people who went and took selfies right after the attack on UK tourists in Tunisia.

[kevinyork]

"The helicopter had to withdraw and circle many times until the crew had pushed passengers back"

 

 

 

I heard that same comment made while on board, and it seemed odd to me, because if the crew had wanted the passengers pushed back, believe me, they could have forced that to happen.

 

 

For the first 15 minutes there was just one member of staff trying to push passengers back down either side of the ship. It was him who said the helicoptor will not land until you move back. Despite his efforts ( two hands on peoples chest pushing them back ) some passengers just either held their ground or moved back then skirted round him.

 

 

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[cruisestitch]

Hmmmm….. since the helicopter was never going to land no matter what, I wonder why he said that?

[socreader]

Seriously. What is WRONG with people??????

 

I do hope the passengers were ok and that the delay, however minimal, wasn't an issue.

 

On almost every cruise we've been on there has been some kind of medical "issue". I don't remember passengers being in the way or causing problems. On one, we had left our port for two days at sea and after about three hours we returned to port so that a passenger could disembark because of a medical emergency. I think we were at the dock less than 30 minutes.

 

From those who have exposure to EMS minutes and seconds count.

[CathyCruises]

My son is a firefighter. Unfortunately had to work on the 4th of July. Some people set their cypress trees on fire setting off illegal fireworks. The fire was pretty high up in the trees.

 

They live along the creek that runs through the middle of our town. There is just a one lane road going each direction along the creek. My son had to park the fire engine on the road, since obviously there was no other place to park it, so that he and his team could start fighting the fire.

 

He could not believe the number of people who were screaming at them to move the fire engine and to get out of the way!! Seriously!?? What is WRONG with people??

[Fish Lover]

Even if the passengers were not in the way, I wish they would have had a single thought about the poor passenger and his wife. Nobody wants an audience for that kind of process. It makes the whole ordeal far worse.

 

Similarly, I can not stand it when people stop to gawk at an accident...and the worse it is, the better they like it. And even more terrible is the press, when they get involved.

 

While people, in general, have a right to know ... they do not have a right to needlessly inflict themselves on another person's privacy.

[uktog]

Hmmmm….. since the helicopter was never going to land no matter what, I wonder why he said that?

 

Geez cut the guy some slack, English is probably not his first language, he has been ordered by a more senior person to stop people going somewhere but the boorish idiots keep pushing forward. He probably hoped a statement like that would get some to listen, I don't blame him.

 

Although the helicopter may not wish to land, some aviation rescue agencies have rules about persons being elsewhere, sadly they have to assume not all on a ship are friendly, cruise ship or not. I remember a crew medivac in Australia and the captain explained another military plane would circle to check us and for that he needed us all off the decks at the sides of the ship or the helicopter would not come in to do the rescue.

 

Finally a thought for cruise critic guidelines, we often see posts of medivac with pictures and comments like fantastic photos...........

 

.......why doesn't cruise critic say no pictures of medivacs.....and remove these posts.

 

That would set the standards of behaviour I think we are all looking for (or well most of us!)

[Cruiseline Virgin]

Maybe some "Elite" level members who demand first row seat for the "show" and the helipad they have booked for the day

 

:cool:

 

Some people are really unbelievable...

Edited July 14, 2015 by Cruiseline Virgin

[Maddy Craggit]

We are just off Eclipse and on our last sea day we had an Emergency Helicoptor lift of a cardiac patient and his wife. The Captain announced the arrival of the helicoptor from the UK Coastguard and it encouraged a huge rush of passengers to the front of the ship. A few minutes later crew arrived and tried to get passengers to move back to the sides behind the glass screens but it was an effort. The crew eventually placed sun lounges across the area to keep people back but passengers continued to climb over the sun loungers amd crew were trying to be forceful in pushing them back.

 

The helicopter had to withdraw and circle many times until the crew had pushed passengers back and still some passengers literally pushed against crew member to get a photo.

 

To be honest we felt ashamed. Perhaps the anouncement re the helicoptor arriving could have advised passsengers where to avoid but the clambering of some passengers to get photos left me feeling sick.

 

I hope that the evacuated passenger is well but think more could have been done to stop a terrible situation become a spectacle for passengers.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

The area at the front of the ship should have been closed off and several staff posted to keep people away BEFORE the Captain made the announcement about the arrival of the helicopter. It was only to be expected that people would rush to the front with their cameras. It's not nice behaviour but I'm afraid it's human nature and there'll always be people who enjoy watching other people's distress.

[joanne2]

I was on the Caribbean Princess TA this spring and we had a helicopter remove a passenger who had a burst appendix. The evacuation happened in the early morning and the captain announced that we should stay in our rooms and not go on the balconies. People in rooms near the evacuation were required to clear the area and go to some designated area. The next day I heard 2 men very loudly complaining and planning their letters (threaten to sue if they don't get their cruise free). Their reasoning was "We're in international waters and can do whatever we want so no one can make us leave our rooms." Fortunately, the passenger survived, but their only thought was they were inconvenienced so should get a free cruise.