The U.S. Air Force’s 920th Rescue Wing, based out of Florida, airlifted a 12-year-old boy suffering a medical emergency off the Carnival Venezia cruise ship over the weekend.
The boat was more than 350 nautical miles off the East Coast at the time of the rescue operation Saturday.
A pair of helicopters and a pair of planes were mobilized, and flew out to the remote location of the Venezia, needing to fuel up in mid-air three times on the way, the 920th Rescue Wing said in a news release Tuesday.
“Carnival Venezia’s team worked with United States Coast Guard and Air Force officials to adjust its course Saturday so a medical helicopter could rendezvous with the ship,” a Carnival spokesperson told the Florida Today newspaper.
Once the aircraft arrived, rescue personnel were lowered down to secure the boy and his mom Angela Bridges, and then they were taken to a hospital in North Carolina. Patient Aiden Bridges received treatment for his perforated bowel on the way there.
The Venezia was traveling back to New York City from the Caribbean when Aiden fell ill.
“I feel so much gratitude, gratefulness toward all the people who have been integral to my son’s recovery,” Ms. Bridges told ABC News. Aiden is currently recuperating in the hospital.
The rescue went smoothly, Air Force officials said, with the aircraft involved flying 1,000 miles over the course of eight hours.
“The amazing thing about this rescue is, is actually how smooth it went. We went from zero notification to having aircraft ready to having aircraft in the air. And the young man in the hospital in just a manner of hours,” Lt. Col. Dave Underwood told ABC News.
The Venezia arrived as scheduled in New York City on Monday.
• Brad Matthews can be reached at bmatthews@washingtontimes.com.
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