Liberty of the Seas Medical Emergency

[bgoff60]

From the preverbal horses mouth...

https://www.amtrauma.org/page/traumalevels

 

 

[njkruzer]

On the Infinity in January 2016 a passenger running up to answer in Name that tune, or something like it, fell, landing on her face seriously injuring herself.  We were off the coast of Chile.  From the TV in our cabin noticed that the crew was removing the railing around the helipad.  We watched as a helicopter landed, a medical person got off with a stretcher.  The helicopter lifted off, returning to take on the passenger and medical person.  I can't say anything about wind direction, speeds, etc.  Nor do I know if it was a coast guard,  or other military or a private copter.  Crew seemed well pirepared.

[njkruzer]

It was a great trip, though we missed going around Cape Horn.  

[Ship2Shore]

On 11/24/2021 at 11:35 PM, Rosy Season said:

A man on the ship was behind the son in line at Guest Services and heard everything.  The son was trying to settle their bill so he could leave.

I’m highly suspect that in the middle of an emergency evacuation of his parent, the son would be at guest services settling their bill. Their bill??  I doubt Royal would be holding them hostage for payment. This sounds more like a child’s game of ‘Telephone’. 

[SRF]

16 hours ago, chengkp75 said:

There is a vast difference in both equipment and training between medical transport helicopters and SAR helicopters.  Most medical transport helicopters are not rated for long over water flights, nor do they have the range of SAR birds, and their crews are not trained on moving platforms.

 

The helipads on cruise ships are primarily for winching, but the problem with the ones on the bow is that in order to keep ship's motion (pitch/roll) optimized, the ship must maintain steerage speed, and keep the wind/waves slightly on one side of the bow or the other.  Therefore, the helicopted must fly with the wind (primarily, though with some cross-wind vector) towards the ship, which is moving towards the helicopter.  This is why many ships don't have the winch pad on the bow, but actually have them high up on the uppermost decks (crew only), so pax don't see that there is a helipad there.  Here, the pilot can fly with the ship, more easily matching relative speed.

 

Agreed.  But if they could even grab the person 20 - 50 miles out, and avoid the time in the harbor and docking, that would reduce the time to hospital greatly.

 

I mentioned that about bow mounted helipads earlier.  What is the minimum speed you think is needed to maintain directional control and reduce motion?

 

The ship could also turn to do downwind, reducing the wind speed on deck.  You could not want to have the apparent wind from the stern, as that would cause turbulence from the superstructure.  But a couple knots from the box (apparent wind) would be easily handled.

 

As for weight capacity, you can "land" a helicopter (wheels or skids on the deck) without putting the full weight of the helicopter on the deck.

 

What weight are the pads typically rated for.

 

This discussion is intended as a nice conversation and learning, not to argue with anyone.

[AustinCruise]

Liberty pad is 4500kg per photos I found. 

Edited December 2, 2021 by AustinCruise

[njkruzer]

10 hours ago, Heymarco said:

Oh I just meant most recent on Liberty with medical issue. However would love to do a South America cruise, especially on a bigger ship. Hope one comes up again soon!

I'm not sure a big ship would go as some of the ports wouldn't be able to accommodate a big ship.

[SRF]

22 hours ago, AustinCruise said:

Liberty pad is 4500kg per photos I found. 

 

Thanks.

 

The normal USCG SAR helicopter is an MH-60, which is 14,500 pounds empty weight.

 

But again, one thing a helicopter can do is put its wheels or skids on the deck, but not the full weight of the helicopter on them.

[AustinCruise]

46 minutes ago, SRF said:

 

Thanks.

 

The normal USCG SAR helicopter is an MH-60, which is 14,500 pounds empty weight.

 

But again, one thing a helicopter can do is put its wheels or skids on the deck, but not the full weight of the helicopter on them.

On a bouncy ocean surface just in front of the main ship structure, I don’t think someone would want to lightly sit on the surface. 

[AustinCruise]

I'm curious.  There must be a cost to a diversion to Cozumel.  Fuel, port fees, etc.   We were also diverted on Independence in August.  Very similar but Indy got to Cozumel much earlier and spent more time at the dock.

 

Anyway, assuming there is a cost, who pays?

[2flacruisers]

On 11/24/2021 at 9:54 PM, Jingerwoppy said:

A few years ago, my mother-in-law was forced off the ship in Cozumel (not from a Royal Caribbean ship though) and she nearly died. They took her to some medical facility for cruise ships but not the hospital. She was 84 (father-in-law was 84 and with her) and the treatment was horrible. My wife had to try and coordinate medical evacuation from here in the states and it was tough. Of course the clinic wanted to be paid before they would let her leave. By the time medivac could get her, she was non-responsive - there care was horrible. They flew her and my FIL to Florida and my wife met them there. Took her 3 weeks to recover. It was some kind of Covid virus. Fortunately they had travel insurance and it covered pretty much everything but the paperwork required was horrendous. 

Same thing happened to a good friend of ours...had a heart attack on the ship, he was transferred to a filthy clinic and wouldn't hook him up to the oxygen until his wife gave them a lot of money. But she remembered that she had purchased travel insurance and called their toll free number. She was instructed to not give them anything and within a short time, had a med e vac chopper there from Miami, and he was transferred to a Texas hospital, where he had 2 or 3 stints put in place. She was given a 5 star hotel w/meals.  When he was ready to travel, the insurance company flew them both 1st class back home, and a limo ride home. The insurance paid everything.   So yes, it is wise to purchase the insurance (by the way, it was not cruise ship insurance).

[zekekelso]

You guys sure sound like you know what you are talking about. Then again, on teevee they do all sorts of helicopter/ship transfers. I remember this one time TC got Magnum…. well, anyway, I’ve go to trust teevee. Pretty sure everything there has to, by law, be true. 

[not-enough-cruising]

3 hours ago, AustinCruise said:

I'm curious.  There must be a cost to a diversion to Cozumel.  Fuel, port fees, etc.   We were also diverted on Independence in August.  Very similar but Indy got to Cozumel much earlier and spent more time at the dock.

 

Anyway, assuming there is a cost, who pays?

I would assume the cruise line or their insurance carrier 

[SRF]

5 hours ago, AustinCruise said:

On a bouncy ocean surface just in front of the main ship structure, I don’t think someone would want to lightly sit on the surface. 

 

My lightly, I mean with about 3000 kilograms (6600 pounds) on the deck. 🙂

 

And yes, it would depend on how bouncy it was that day.