Medical Evacuation On Board Carnival Legend

[Once a Cruiser]

At 12.00 noon today the MS Carnival Legend was 50 nautical miles from San Juan Peurto Rico on it's way back to Fort Lauderdale after leaving Martinique on Thursday at 2.00pm ship time.

 

At 3.15pm today, the Captain of the Legend (Claudio Cupisti) made an announcement that due to a medical emergency, the ship was heading back to Peurto Rico. The ship made a complete 180 degrees turn around and began to make appropriate arrangements with the US Coastguard to meet half way - so a women could be airlifted from the ship to a helicopter to take her to hospital for further emergency treatment.

 

At 3.30pm the aft of the ship was cleared from all passengers, chairs and anything else that could disrupt the evacuation.

 

At 4.25 a US Coastguard helicopter cam about from the rear of the ship and a medical officer was dropped to the ship to commence securing the patient for evacuation. Hundreds of onlookers were on deck to witness the emergency evacuation. Brett Alans came on the air (TV) and camera angles were altered to give those viewing from cabins the best vantage points. The evacuation took around 20 minutes.

 

It is understood the yesterday afternoon an elderly women was on the Lido deck when a 'freak'wave splashed over the side of the pool and she slipped and had skull injuries. It was decided this afternoon that she required surgery and hospitalization to care for her serious injuries........It is understood that she is travelling with family and friends who are continuing onto Fort Lauderdale (we arrive there 7.00am Sunday).

 

If there is any more updates, I will post! In any case we all wish her and her family the very best. It's no way to finish a vacation.

[jsy]

At 12.00 noon today the MS Carnival Legend was 50 nautical miles from San Juan Peurto Rico on it's way back to Fort Lauderdale after leaving Martinique on Thursday at 2.00pm ship time.

 

At 3.15pm today, the Captain of the Legend (Claudio Cupisti) made an announcement that due to a medical emergency, the ship was heading back to Peurto Rico. The ship made a complete 180 degrees turn around and began to make appropriate arrangements with the US Coastguard to meet half way - so a women could be airlifted from the ship to a helicopter to take her to hospital for further emergency treatment.

 

At 3.30pm the aft of the ship was cleared from all passengers, chairs and anything else that could disrupt the evacuation.

 

At 4.25 a US Coastguard helicopter cam about from the rear of the ship and a medical officer was dropped to the ship to commence securing the patient for evacuation. Hundreds of onlookers were on deck to witness the emergency evacuation. Brett Alans came on the air (TV) and camera angles were altered to give those viewing from cabins the best vantage points. The evacuation took around 20 minutes.

 

It is understood the yesterday afternoon an elderly women was on the Lido deck when a 'freak'wave splashed over the side of the pool and she slipped and had skull injuries. It was decided this afternoon that she required surgery and hospitalization to care for her serious injuries........It is understood that she is travelling with family and friends who are continuing onto Fort Lauderdale (we arrive there 7.00am Sunday).

 

If there is any more updates, I will post! In any case we all wish her and her family the very best. It's no way to finish a vacation.

 

Oh my, I hope she will be okay. The Legend was my first cruise and the same thing happened, but it was on our second day at sea. A woman was having heart problems. We anchored 2 1/2 hours waiting for the helicopter.

I'm leaving next Sunday on the Legend again. I see that you mentioned Captain Claudio Cupisti. He was our captain in 2004. I am glad to see he's on the Legend again. I have a photo taken with him. I thought he was so good looking. Just my opinion. Brett Alan was also there in 2004.

Keep us updated if you hear any more updates. When this happened in 2004, Captain Cupisti announced to the passengers that she was doing well. I thought that was nice because we all wondered how she was doing.

[Wennfred]

Amazing story, thanks for the info.

[redskin80]

We had a gentleman removed from the Liberty during our cruise to Europe last year. It was only our 3rd stop into the cruise. We later were told that he had a heart attack, but survived.

[momof4boys]

In July, we saw a woman (with her suitcases) diembarking the Elation when we were in the Bahamas. We later found out she was on her honemoon and her DH died of a heart attack while snorkeling. We all felt so horrible for her. I also felt bad for those folks on the excursion with them. I hope this individual gets better. Thanks for the info.

[mafiadon]

On my Triumph cruise I had the corner wrap around balcony on the Veranda deck. On Thursday night or I should say early Friday morning I got out of bed to go to the bathroom and while sitting on the toilet the ship made a sharp turn and I fell off. Scared the you know what out of me. I yelled to my husband and he came an got me up and we went out on deck to see a coast guard helo coming at us, they did the rescue right above my deck and they were so close the piolit would wave to me. I have pictures of the rescue and later on the boards I was contacted by the husband of the woman that was taken off the ship and asked to send him the pictures as one of the other CC members that we met on board was talking about it on another cruise board. I sent the pictures to him and he told me she was doing well and they planned to cruise again. Linda

[ladycaveat]

Oh dear . . . I sure hope she is okay. What a sad thing to have a medical emergency happen to someone while on a vacation. My son is a Coast Guard helicopter pilot based at Air Station Miami who has had to medivac passengers off of cruise liners from Miami to the Caribbean. He said that he will never forget a little lady about a year ago that told his crew . . . "Honey, I'm just fine . . . please, let me stay." Even in a medical emergency . . . some just don't want to leave.

[starketcher]

Tammy, I wish my son would sign with the CG. I've tried my best to talk him into it...he's just not ready for college yet.

 

But, I was on a Celebrity cruise a couple years ago. The medevac'd a woman who had slipped at the pool. They took her husband as well. It certainly was a sight to see!

[Catrin]

Linda....

I remember!!

 

We had left Cozumel and went FLYING to Grand Cayman!!

 

Hope all is well, Steve and I went on the Legend in November without the Kids!

We hope to return a year from now when our baby... (Allison who will be a year old next week) ... turns 2!!

Take Care,

Cathy

[ladycaveat]

Tammy, I wish my son would sign with the CG. I've tried my best to talk him into it...he's just not ready for college yet.

 

But, I was on a Celebrity cruise a couple years ago. The medevac'd a woman who had slipped at the pool. They took her husband as well. It certainly was a sight to see!

 

My son got a degree in architecture and a week later . . . he called to say that he had been accepted into OCS (Officer Candidate School) with the Coast Guard. I was livid . . . I had spent a fortunate for him to be an architect and he wanted to be a "lifeguard"!!!!!! It was probably one of the best decisions he could have ever made. Though he doesn't earn the "big bucks" his degree could have afforded him . . . he is doing what he loves and I couldn't be prouder.

 

Tell your son to drop Mike (my son) an email at silentcavalier@hotmail.com.

[iluvdoxies]

Hope all turns out well.

 

We've cruised with Capt Claudio a few times--he's a hottie, that's for sure, Plus he's a very nice man==he was always out and about and very approachable.

[cusyl]

It is surprising how many times this happens....those airlifts cost around $20,000 I am told. Anyone here been airlifted from a ship?

[suebee53]

We anchored 2 1/2 hours waiting for the helicopter.

 

Wow. . . I guess location is everything. . .!! Last week on the Conquest, when the captain got on the PA system on our sea day between Cozumel and Galveston, he announced that the ocean was 10,000 feet deep where we were. I'm thinking that anchoring there is not an option! :)

 

I'm glad we can't see how truly deep the ocean is when we're on the surface. Especially when we sailed between Jamaica and Grand Cayman, over the Cayman trench, which is about 25,000 feet deep! ::::shudder::::

 

Sue

[sounder]

We had to turn back to Costa Rica a few weeks ago, after being about 2 1/2 hours out, for a medical emergency. Heard two different stories about what might have happened to him. The captain said he was doing ok, the next day. We saw him go off the ship & he gave a wave & everyone watching cheered & clapped.

At almost every port, we saw someone getting off with all of their suitcases, and in one case, someone getting on (could've been crew?). We couldn't figure out why people would be getting off - emergency at home? Sea sick & hating the cruise? Any thoughts on this?

[Caribbean Dad1]

At 12.00 noon today the MS Carnival Legend was 50 nautical miles from San Juan Peurto Rico on it's way back to Fort Lauderdale after leaving Martinique on Thursday at 2.00pm ship time.

 

Weird. At almost the same time and place there was a med-evac on our Legend cruise in '04. The Captain came over the PA to let us know about it, and that we would be changing course to put the bow into the wind to make it easier on the pilot. It was quite the sight. IIRC, they let us know the next day that the individual was doing fine.

[celticd1]

We were on the Legend this past week with Once a Cruiser and saw the evacuation. The CD did announce the next day that the passenger was in a PR hospital and was doing well. He also mentioned that she still had family and friends on board and he extended his best wishes to them for her speedy recovery. It was certainly a sight to see. High winds made it look very dangerous as the helicoptor hovered over the ship. We have heard 3 different versions of the reason for the evac., but the most plausible is that she slipped and fell by the pool on the Lido deck and either broke her hip or hit her head hard. On 2 occasions as we were leaving port, the pools were (it seemed to me and many others) over filled and came crashing over the sides of the pool all over the deck. The ship was moving side to side causing the deck to look like surf. There was at least 3 or 4 inches of water on the deck. You really had to be careful not to fall. Was interesting to watch though.

 

Sending our thoughts and prayers to the passengers family.

[psycoma]

Gads, I hope she had insurance! How awful!!

 

 

Wow. . . I guess location is everything. . .!! Last week on the Conquest, when the captain got on the PA system on our sea day between Cozumel and Galveston, he announced that the ocean was 10,000 feet deep where we were. I'm thinking that anchoring there is not an option! :)

 

I'm glad we can't see how truly deep the ocean is when we're on the surface. Especially when we sailed between Jamaica and Grand Cayman, over the Cayman trench, which is about 25,000 feet deep! ::::shudder::::

 

Sue

 

See, now it was so hard to get my DH to agree to go on a cruise...this is one tidbit of information I will *NOT* be sharing with him :D

[Boat4Fun]

If your 6' tall, anything over about 5'6" doesn't really matter.

[mafiadon]

Hi Cathy, nice to hear from you again, why don't you and Steve and the kids join Ward and I on the Liberty next April 28th, 2007. Drop me a line every now and again.

That rescue was really something I won't forget. Linda

[hstrybuf]

I'm glad to hear the lady is doing well. This seems to be the week for ships to be doing the 180 for ill or injured passengers. The thread on the Princess forum about the Grand sounds terrifying!

[J18ktleo]

We were on the Spirit in 2002 on they had to re-route the ship to take my DH to Grand Cayman as the nearest hospital (returning from Panama to Miami). I think the seas were too rough for medivac, or his condition wouldn't allow it but that was a sight...being taken ashore in a little dinghy at 10pm with all the passengers lining the decks! He's doing great but what an experience...I'm a firm believer in insurance after that!:rolleyes:

[caprcorn28]

I hope the lady recovered fine!!!

We've have seen medical emergencies on all of our cruises but one!

There is something very amazing about the procedure!!

[jnnifer01]

I hope they're doing ok.

We made an extra stop in Cabo San Lucas on the way down south on the Pride to let someone off (?). We were told that we got closer to the arch than any other cruise on that ship. It made for great pictures. We never did find out what the brief stop was for, though.