Cruise vessel guests watched as a Coast Guard helicopter dipped close to the ocean dangerously in a harrowing rescue, a video reflected.
A Carnival Dream cruise vessel reached out to the U.S. Coast Guard for aid when a 76-year-old guest showed symptoms of a cardiac attack at about 4:30 a.m. on April 29, per an April 30 press release.
The cruise staff called for a medevac, and a Jayhawk helicopter embarked on a 300-mile flight out to the vessel off the coast of Alabama.
U.S Coast Guard HH-60 almost crashes into the sea after being hit by bad weather while evacuating a passenger onboard a cruiseliner.
Damion Bailey pic.twitter.com/HXjWWMDJD7
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As it started flying, extreme weather hit in, and soon rescuers were fighting against heavy rain and strong winds.
In a video posted on Twitter, the helicopter is fighting the terrific wind, jerking around above the ship as guests stood on the balconies to get a better view.
Another video making rounds on TikTok shows the helicopter having difficulties staying in the air. In a terrifying moment, the aircraft is suddenly pushed downward toward the waves.
Via exceptional real-time risk management, crew resource management, and superb piloting, the aircrew members could recover the aircraft safely and land at the air station without any incident. Keith Blair, the commanding officer of Air Station New Orleans, was mentioned in the release.
The Coast Guard mentioned that a second helicopter had to be sent back to the vessel later, and it could hoist the 76-year-old guest into the aircraft. He was then transferred to a New Orleans hospital on landing and was in stable condition, per the release.
References: Yahoo! News, Business Insider