Pregnant Disney Cruise Passenger Airlifted Off Ship by U.S. Coast Guard

A pregnant passenger aboard the Disney Fantasy was airlifted from the ship after experiencing health complications on April 15. 

The Disney Cruise Line vessel was 180 miles northwest of Puerto Rico in the Atlantic Ocean when the passenger “required a higher level of medical care ashore,” according to an April 16 press release from the U.S. Coast Guard.

A video of the incident shows the Coast Guard MH-60T Jayhawk helicopter aircrew executing a medevac in order to transport the patient safely to land by helicopter. 

In the harrowing clip, an aircrew member gets lowered by rope onto the ship and at least seven crew members are seen carrying the woman on a stretcher. Per the release, the aircrew’s rescue swimmer then “prepared a rescue basket and litter to safely hoist the patient and cruise ship doctor aboard the aircraft.”

The patient was met by local emergency medical responders at the Fernando Luis Ribas Dominicci Airport in San Juan, Puerto Rico. She was then transported to the local Centro Medico Hospital.

According to the release, Coast Guard members first got the call that there was a medical emergency aboard the ship on the morning of Mond -

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ay, April 15. 

“Watchstanders in Sector San Juan received a communication from the Disney Fantasy Monday morning requesting medevac assistance as the cruise ship was transiting 260 nautical miles northwest of Aguadilla, Puerto Rico,” according to the release. 

Lt. Cmdr. Todd Stephens stated in the release: “Our crew was able to quickly, safely, and efficiently execute a long-range MEDEVAC for the patient to receive the higher level of care she required. This case demonstrates the value of good crew resource management and the capabilities of our Jayhawk helicopter.”

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Echoing a similar sentiment, Ensign Michael Riccio, Coast Guard Sector San Juan operations unit leader for the case, said, “The competency displayed by the Disney Fantasy crew and the Coast Guard personnel and units involved made all the difference.”

Disney Cruise Line did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.

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