The Coast Guard dispatched an MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew from the Coast Guard airstation at Clearwater, Florida. The rendezvous point was some 180 miles southwest of Marco Island, which was nearing the outside range of the MH-60. Carnival Paradise speeded up get within range and facilitate the medevac.
Upon arrival over the ship, the helicopter crew lowered a rescue swimmer to the deck of the ship and then, as shown in the video below, hoisted the patient to the helicopter and transported him to a Tampa hospital.
Carnival Paradise returned to Tampa this morning, and now other passengers' are talking to the local news media alleging that after the man collapsed yesterday of an apparent heart attack, Carnival crew members were slow to call medical personnel, none of them administered CPR and it took an extremely long time for the ship's medical personnel to arrive on the scene.
Carnival told CND in a statement today, "Similar to land-based venues, all Carnival ships have an emergency response system which was utilized in this case aboard the Carnival Paradise. The shipboard medical staff arrived on site as rapidly as possible with portable lifesaving equipment and immediately began administering aid to the guest."
That portion of the story is still developing.
After the man was airlifted to the Tampa hospital, local media is reporting that he died there.
Video courtesy of the US Coast Guard
