Medical evacuation during the night on board ms Koningsdam

[Ine]

Last night, just a few hours before ms Koningsdam would be back into The Netherlands a medical evacuation took place by helicopter during the night.

Again in another 3 or 4 hours the ship would have reached IJmuiden, but it was urgent enough to lift a person from the ship.

Might be a good reason for all of us to have a good travelinsurance.

Hopefully this patient will recover soon,

[Keith1010]

Yes, medical insurance (and better to have more then less) is important for everyone regardless of age or their current health situation. I hope that the passenger makes a full recovery.

 

Keith

[Krazy Kruizers]

Thank you for the information.

Prayers that the person will recover.

We always buy separate medical insurance -- especially now that we are older.

[Copper10-8]

Was that by a Koninklijke Marine helicopter, Ine? If you know?

[kazu]

Sorry to hear this Ine.

 

I hope the passenger recovers.

 

Thanks for sharing.

[puppycanducruise]

Thank you for sharing this information.

Best wishes for the passenger's recovery.

[Ine]

Was that by a Koninklijke Marine helicopter, Ine? If you know?

 

I think it was by the coast guard, yellow trauma helicopter. At first I heard the noise and I saw (from our balcony) it flying almost above the ship, about 1 a.m.. Probably first to find the correct place.Then is came back for a longer period, probably putting somebody down and the patient up etc.

It was mentioned in the morning by the cruise director.

A real emergency since this was close to Den Helder, just about another 3-4 hours from the mainland in IJmuiden.

 

Of course we all hope the patient will recover from this.

[Scrapnana]

Hope this person gets better quickly.

 

Travel insurance (especially medical) is so important. We read so often on Cruise Critic things like, "I am young", "I am healthy", etc. You never know what can happen no matter what your age or health condition. The cost of being airlifted off a ship would bankrupt many people and doesn't even take into account the cost of medical attention after arrival at a hospital.

[Copper10-8]

I think it was by the coast guard, yellow trauma helicopter. At first I heard the noise and I saw (from our balcony) it flying almost above the ship, about 1 a.m.. Probably first to find the correct place.Then is came back for a longer period, probably putting somebody down and the patient up etc.

It was mentioned in the morning by the cruise director.

A real emergency since this was close to Den Helder, just about another 3-4 hours from the mainland in IJmuiden.

 

Of course we all hope the patient will recover from this.

 

If the helo was yellow colored, you're right ;) , the medevac from K-dam was more than likely conducted by a Dauphin helo from Noordzee Helicopters Vlaanderen, a Belgian company that took over SAR coverage (alongside the Klu NH-90s from NAS de Kooy/Den Helder) under contract to/for the Dutch Coast Guard after the Klu retired its three AB-412SP helos on January 1, 2015

 

[Alphen]

If the helo was yellow colored, you're right ;) , the medevac from K-dam was more than likely conducted by a Dauphin helo from Noordzee Helicopters Vlaanderen, a Belgian company that took over SAR coverage (alongside the Klu NH-90s from NAS de Kooy/Den Helder) under contract to/for the Dutch Coast Guard after the Klu retired its three AB-412SP helos on January 1, 2015

 

 

You are right, it is alll privatised now John. If it is conducted from the area that Holland is responsible for, it is most likely that NHV did the job. At this moment the Royal Dutch Navy does not do SAR and MEDEVAC out of our home base.

 

Maybe in the future....... ?

 

 

By the way John, if you look around youtube, there is a lot of new footage from the NH90 from last weekends Harbor days in Rotterdam!

[Copper10-8]

You are right, it is alll privatised now John. If it is conducted from the area that Holland is responsible for, it is most likely that NHV did the job. At this moment the Royal Dutch Navy does not do SAR and MEDEVAC out of our home base.

 

Maybe in the future....... ?

 

 

By the way John, if you look around youtube, there is a lot of new footage from the NH90 from last weekends Harbor days in Rotterdam!

 

Thanks Jeroen; will do! I thought the NH90s were, by now, also doing SAR/medevacs and, yes, hopefully that will once again be part of their task package in the future just like the retired Lynx'

[Ine]

If the helo was yellow colored, you're right ;) , the medevac from K-dam was more than likely conducted by a Dauphin helo from Noordzee Helicopters Vlaanderen, a Belgian company that took over SAR coverage (alongside the Klu NH-90s from NAS de Kooy/Den Helder) under contract to/for the Dutch Coast Guard after the Klu retired its three AB-412SP helos on January 1, 2015

 

 

It indeed looks like the one I saw from the balcony (but remember it was dark outside since it was past midnight)

[Alphen]

Thanks Jeroen; will do! I thought the NH90s were, by now, also doing SAR/medevacs and, yes, hopefully that will once again be part of their task package in the future just like the retired Lynx'

 

Unfortunately, it is no longer the question if the NH90 is capable to do this task (which in theory it is more than capable of), but government plans are to more and more privatize functions which are normally done by government sources (including military),out of cost effectiveness. This is not only in Holland, the UK has led the way,where Bristow is now doing the SAR duty, formerly done by the RAF, including the services for the Falklands. I think also France and Belgium are in the process to do the same.

 

In Holland NHV has a 5-year contract for SAR (Dutch coast and evacuation of Oil Platforms) and the other service provided by the military, which was medical evacuation service for the “Wadden eilanden” (the islands north of Holland), has gone to the ANWB medical trauma helicopter service, which also does trauma coverage for Holland.

The NHV contract runs up to 2019 I think, we will see what happens then.

[S & LS]

does anyone have an idea as to what the cost of this evac was?

[Copper10-8]

does anyone have an idea as to what the cost of this evac was?

 

The actual medevac by the Dutch Coast Guard was more than likely free. The medical costs on the ship and ashore in Holland will not be

[scamper]

Travel medical insurance is exceptionally important. Many people don't realize that the insurance they carry at home won't necessarily cover you abroad.

 

Further, medevac coverage is crucial. Medevac incidents can run into the hundreds of thousands of dollars. Better safe than bankrupt.

 

Sent from my XT1254 using Forums mobile app

[chengkp75]

The actual medevac by the Dutch Coast Guard was more than likely free. The medical costs on the ship and ashore in Holland will not be

 

Per UNCLOS (the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea), when a country has accepted SAR responsibility for an area of the sea (and medical evacuation falls under SAR), then it is provided free of charge. So, any government agency, or government contracted company, will provide this service for free.

[Bxianesq]

We were on the Konigsdam as well. Slept through thecmedical evacuation. It is a credit to the captain and crew that disembarkation was only delayed about a half hour despite the emergency. Also hoping that our fellow passenger is OK.