In a carefully coordinated emergency operation off Australia’s New South Wales coast, an ill crew member from Celebrity Cruises’ Celebrity Edge was airlifted for medical treatment on November 5, 2024.
The complex rescue involved a team effort between a rescue helicopter and a support aircraft.
The call for assistance came as the 130,818-gross-ton Celebrity Edge was sailing along the South Coast of New South Wales on a 4-night roundtrip voyage from Sydney, Australia, to Hobart, Tasmania.
As the ship was enjoying a sea day with plans to return to Sydney on November 6, the need for urgent medical care prompted the ship’s medical team to contact Australian maritime authorities.
The Australia Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) dispatched a Challenger rescue airlift from Essendon, Victoria, near Melbourne, to meet a Toll Ambulance Rescue helicopter from Wollongong, New South Wales, south of Sydney.
The two rescue teams conducted a winch recovery to hoist the crew member from the ship to the helicopter and transferred them to medical care. You can watch footage of the important airlift below:
Following the challenging mid-sea rescue, the helicopter transported the crew member to Bega, New South Wales, located on Australia’s South Coast, where they were taken to a local hospital for further treatment.
“Australia has one of the largest search and rescue regions in the world. Strong collaborative relationships help save lives in this vast region,” said AMSA in a statement.
While no details on the crew member’s condition have been released, the successful operation serves as a testament to the capabilities of Australia’s rescue network.
Rescues Down Under
This is the second dramatic sea rescue in weeks for an Australian cruise ship. On October 24, 2024, P&O Cruises Australia’s Pacific Explorer required a medical evacuation while sailing off the coast of Queensland, Australia.
Wrapping up a 10-night roundtrip cruise to New Guinea Island from Brisbane, Australia, a male passenger suffering a heart attack needed to be rescued by a helicopter and a Challenger Bombardier 604 jet rescue aircraft.
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As the ship was 560 miles from Cairns, it was required to sail 280 miles to Willis Island as a halfway point so the Queensland Government Air helicopter could refuel following the rescue.
The rescue was successful, and the passenger was transported to Cairns Hospital for further treatment.
Unfortunately, the 77,441-gross-ton Pacific Explorer had also needed a medevac weeks earlier. On October 8, the ship owned by Carnival Corporation encountered another medical emergency during a voyage from Auckland, New Zealand.
The ship, which departed from Auckland on October 1, spent a call in Norfolk Island, Australia, before several additional calls in Vanuatu. However, as passengers were about to disembark in Mystery Island on October 8, the captain suspended the disembarkation to save a passenger.
Attempts by the 1,990-passenger cruise ship to arrange a helicopter or plane evacuation from Mystery Island were unsuccessful, prompting Pacific Explorer to sail seven hours to New Caledonia.
There, a military helicopter from the French Army successfully winched the passenger from the vessel and transported them to Noumea, New Caledonia, for further medical care.
While medical rescues at sea are rare, these recent medevacs illustrate they are not uncommon, especially given the large number of passengers and crew on cruise ships and the sometimes-remote nature of their itineraries.
Cruise ships are staffed with qualified medical professionals who are trained to handle a variety of health issues that may arise onboard. However, when an emergency exceeds the ship’s medical capabilities, the onboard team collaborates with maritime authorities to coordinate air or sea rescues.
