medical emergency on the Westerdam today

[toz]

My son is on the Westerdam leaving Ft Lauderdale today. Shortly after sail-away (about twenty minutes), the Captain announced that the ship was turning around due to a medical emergency. My son is keeping me posted via his cell-phone.

[Copper10-8]

My son is on the Westerdam leaving Ft Lauderdale today. Shortly after sail-away (about twenty minutes), the Captain announced that the ship was turning around due to a medical emergency. My son is keeping me posted via his cell-phone.

 

Hate to say it but that's not an unusual occurance on HAL and other lines and neither are medevac's via (usually) coast guard helo's

[toz]

I didn't realize that this is not an unusual occurrence. According to my son, the ship is just sitting and waiting until the stricken person can be evacuated.

[Copper10-8]

I didn't realize that this is not an unusual occurrence. According to my son, the ship is just sitting and waiting until the stricken person can be evacuated.

 

Very unfortunate for the ill person! My hopes and prayers are with him/her. If there is a good thing about it, it happened close to FLL so there should be not much delay in getting the person the help he/she needs.

[RuthC]

Did it again.

[RuthC]

It's very scary to feel like you're in the middle of nowhere and in need of medical attention.

I was off the coast of Bora Bora and experiencing heart attack symptoms. The doctor and nurse were considering the options as I was thinking please don't make me get off here! :eek:

Fortunately it turned out to be severe gastritis and I was sent back to my cabin. Missed closing the Piano Bar that night. :mad:

Right now all my good wishes are with that ill passenger.

[toz]

The ill person was taken via tender to Port Everglades. Hopefully he/she will recover completely. The ship should soon resume its journey.

[mechcc]

That is a blessing that it happened so close to port. As was previous noted, it is not unusual to have medical emergencies on a ship. One of the reasons that insurance is a good thing.

[Pam in CA]

It's not at all unusual for passengers to experience medical emergencies while onboard the ship, particularly on cruises/itineraries where the average age is a bit older. I've been on many cruises where people have died while onboard; they're kept in the Medical Center and removed from the ship when it gets into port and most of the passengers have disembarked. That's why most people don't see this.

 

The famous "list" of the Grand Princess earlier this year was caused by the ship turning more severely than planned as it headed back towards Galveston in a narrow channel with oil rigs nearby to meet the USCG evacuation helicopters coming from shore. (It was felt that every minute counted.) Fortunately, the person survived.