Coast Guard Conducts Back-to-Back Rescues from the Same Carnival Ship

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Two passengers aboard Carnival Cruise Lineโ€™s 110,000-gross-ton Carnival Liberty required emergency medical evacuations over the weekend, prompting quick action by the US Coast Guard.

On October 19, 2024, a 66-year-old man displaying stroke-like symptoms was airlifted while the cruise ship was about 55 miles southeast of Southwest Pass, Louisiana.

The following day, on October 20, a 30-year-old woman was rescued after she began experiencing appendicitis-like symptoms while the ship was near Port Sulphur, Louisiana.

Coast Guard Sector New Orleans watchstanders received both reports and coordinated the necessary rescue operations. For each case, a Coast Guard MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew from Air Station New Orleans was deployed to carry out the medevacs.

The emergencies occurred on two separate sailings aboard the 2,974-passenger Carnival Liberty. The first rescue occurred as the vessel was completing a 7-night, roundtrip Eastern Caribbean voyage to Key West, Florida, and Freeport and Nassau, Bahamas. 

Occurring on the shipโ€™s final sea day, the man was rescued a day before the cruise concluded its journey in New Orleans.

The following rescue occurred just hours after Carnival Liberty departed Port New Orleans for her subsequent 7-night, roundtrip Western Caribbean sailing to Roatan Island, Honduras; Belize City, Belize; and Cozumel, Mexico. The ship had left port at 3:30 p.m.

Both the man and the woman were airlifted to University Medical Center in New Orleans, where emergency medical personnel awaited their arrival. At the time of the latest report, October 21, 2024, both passengers were in stable condition.

Prepared for Critical Emergencies at Seas

Though the shipโ€™s medical staff can handle most illnesses and injuries on a cruise, there are times when conditions are too critical for onboard care.

When that happens, the US Coast Guard is notified and responds by swiftly transporting passengers to shore for further treatment. 

Highly trained to handle these urgent situations, the Coast Guard’s rigorous preparation includes extensive medical training, helicopter deployment skills, and physical endurance exercises to make sure they are ready for emergencies at sea.

Read Also: How to Stay Safe and Enjoy Your Cruise Vacation

Carnival Venezia Airlift
Carnival Venezia Airlift (Courtesy of Coast Guard Air Facility Charleston)

In recent months, several Carnival passengers have required emergency airlifts. Most recently, on October 6, 2024, a guest aboard the 4,090-passenger Carnival Venezia was evacuated after suffering from a stroke just two days into a cruise that departed from New York City.

The female guest in her 80s was transported to a local hospital in North Carolina for treatment after an air rescue.

Earlier in the year, on August 22, 2024, the Coast Guard performed another critical rescue on Carnival Venezia hours after it departed New York for its 5-night journey to Bermuda. A female passenger in her 50s was airlifted to a New Jersey hospital.

In May 2024, the US Air Force also played a role in a long-range rescue from the same vessel. In that situation, a medevacked child required the support of two helicopters and two support aircraft to assist with refueling while the ship was 350 nautical miles offshore in the Atlantic Ocean.

And rescues are not limited to passengers. The Coast Guard has also airlifted crew members in need, as was the case on the 3,002-passenger Carnival Sunshine, when a Carnival crew member required urgent medical evacuation near Jacksonville, Florida, on April 27, 2024.

These rescues are a reminder of just how lucky we are to have such skilled Coast Guard and Air Force teams ready to jump into action.

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