Coast Guard evacuates woman

[Weedy]

https://www.wftv.com/news/local/wat...0X7s_xfpP_X8AqiqK0I5WsIZ7fkccgG-1ERMfemIwe8Oo

 

[Calantha]

https://www.wftv.com/news/local/wat...0X7s_xfpP_X8AqiqK0I5WsIZ7fkccgG-1ERMfemIwe8Oo

Every time I see a cruise ship/helicopter rescue, I am amazed at the true skill of some people.

 

[ladyofthetramp]

I am so afraid of heights I would be losing it. I would need a sedative. Thankful to all of the men and women that helped evacuate this woman. I hope that she recovers.

 

[brentm77]

Every time I see a cruise ship/helicopter rescue, I am amazed at the true skill of some people.

The Cost Guard is amazing at what they do. I hope she is ok.

 

[MomOTwins]

I don't know if this makes me a horrible person for thinking it, and obviously I too hope she is safe, but I can't help but wonder what on earth was she was thinking going on a 7 day cruise? My OBGYN always told me to avoid travel that would require me to be more than a few hours away from a hospital. And I was told absolutely no travel to Caribbean because of Zika virus. Is that no longer the guidance?

 

[Flip flops in winter]

The first thing I thought of when I saw this on the news this morning was about how much that is going to cost! Is the medical care in PR as much as it is here in the continental US? Even without travel insurance I've never worried about situations like this in other developed countries because the medical care is so much cheaper, but being medivacked on US soil could bankrupt anyone.

 

[71 Truck]

The first thing I thought of when I saw this on the news this morning was about how much that is going to cost! Is the medical care in PR as much as it is here in the continental US? Even without travel insurance I've never worried about situations like this in other developed countries because the medical care is so much cheaper, but being medivacked on US soil could bankrupt anyone.

First and foremost I hope she and the baby are okay and recovering.

I have a friend who used to be a flight mechanic on a United States Coast Guard rescue helicopter. He told me as far as the evacuation off the cruise ship, it is covered by the good old US government, AKA the tax payers. This is money well spent and that is fine by me. This of course is for the United States Coast Guard I am not sure what other countries do.
This was several years ago so I do not know if this is still true, things may have changed since I asked him.

As far as care in a hospital on the Island and getting back to the United States, hopefully they have travel insurance. I have heard Medical flights can be very expensive however I am not sure about the cost of medical care in a hospital.

 

[nancipants]

I don't know if this makes me a horrible person for thinking it, and obviously I too hope she is safe, but I can't help but wonder what on earth was she was thinking going on a 7 day cruise? My OBGYN always told me to avoid travel that would require me to be more than a few hours away from a hospital. And I was told absolutely no travel to Caribbean because of Zika virus. Is that no longer the guidance?

If there were no complications, and she was under 24 weeks, I don't see why she wouldn't have thought to go. Especially if her OB cleared her. Is Zika virus still a thing? I avoided areas when we were trying to get pregnant, but never heard anything when I was (2019).

 

[PrincessNelly]

I don't know if this makes me a horrible person for thinking it, and obviously I too hope she is safe, but I can't help but wonder what on earth was she was thinking going on a 7 day cruise? My OBGYN always told me to avoid travel that would require me to be more than a few hours away from a hospital. And I was told absolutely no travel to Caribbean because of Zika virus. Is that no longer the guidance?

I traveled while pregnant. As long as I knew I'd have access to proper medical care if needed, there was no reason not to travel.
Of course, certain places are warned against for high risk of certain diseases. But never her of the Caribbean being one of those places. My cousin also cruised to the Caribbean on DCL while pregnant & her doctors didn't have any issue with it.

 

[MomOTwins]

I traveled while pregnant. As long as I knew I'd have access to proper medical care if needed, there was no reason not to travel.
Of course, certain places are warned against for high risk of certain diseases. But never her of the Caribbean being one of those places. My cousin also cruised to the Caribbean on DCL while pregnant & her doctors didn't have any issue with it.

But on a ship at sea there is no access to medical care for pregnancy related complications hence the need for the helicopter medivac. Just seems crazy to me that a doctor would approve it but I guess they do.

 

[lanejudy]

As long as I knew I'd have access to proper medical care if needed, there was no reason not to travel.

This may be to the PP's point -- a cruise ship is NOT adequately prepared to deal with an obstetric emergency. This is why the cruiselines don't allow passengers past 24 weeks (I think that's the cut-off).

I pray the woman and her baby are ok. I hope she did not ignore the recommendations and cruise later along in her pregnancy.

 

[PrincessNelly]

This may be to the PP's point -- a cruise ship is NOT adequately prepared to deal with an obstetric emergency. This is why the cruiselines don't allow passengers past 24 weeks (I think that's the cut-off).

I pray the woman and her baby are ok. I hope she did not ignore the recommendations and cruise later along in her pregnancy.

Sorry, I was just speaking in general about traveling while pregnant.

 

[cvjw]

I have also been on the fantasy when we had to make an emergency stop to drop off a pregnant woman. Being dropped off in a random Caribbean country for medical care for your pregnancy seems very risky. Would give me pause before deciding to sail while pregnant.

 

[Lisa F]

But on a ship at sea there is no access to medical care for pregnancy related complications hence the need for the helicopter medivac. Just seems crazy to me that a doctor would approve it but I guess they do.

I didn't see anything about the emergency being pregnancy related, just that she had an emergency and was also pregnant, which of course would complicate any medical issue.

Most women are not at high risk for pregnancy related complications - I mean anything could happen at any time, but you could also stroke out or have an aneurism or any other number of medical issues pregnant or not. That said since you are mom of twins I would guess that your risk for complication would be higher than a single pregnancy and you might be a bit more conservative. But I don't think that it is irresponsible for a healthy woman early enough in her pregnancy to travel with her doctor's blessing.

This news originally came across my fb feed and a few people on that cruise posted - not verified of course - but that she had some kind of internal bleeding and had already required a couple of blood transfusions (the officers donated) but they needed to get her to a real hospital. Also that a family member posted to the cruise group she was in that she was doing ok. Not sure if this is true or not but I hope the second is!

 

[Wmuflyguy]

I don't know if this makes me a horrible person for thinking it, and obviously I too hope she is safe, but I can't help but wonder what on earth was she was thinking going on a 7 day cruise? My OBGYN always told me to avoid travel that would require me to be more than a few hours away from a hospital. And I was told absolutely no travel to Caribbean because of Zika virus. Is that no longer the guidance?

If there were no complications, and she was under 24 weeks, I don't see why she wouldn't have thought to go. Especially if her OB cleared her. Is Zika virus still a thing? I avoided areas when we were trying to get pregnant, but never heard anything when I was (2019).

My wife told me she had seen posts of folks who contemplate lying about how far along in a pregnancy they are in order to still cruise. It’s probably not the case here, but damn the liability you open yourself up to if you did that and needed care or an evac would be big (and rightfully so)..

 

[JulieBeeRN]

Oof, how scary for the woman and her family.

 

[JulieBeeRN]

I didn't see anything about the emergency being pregnancy related, just that she had an emergency and was also pregnant, which of course would complicate any medical issue.

Most women are not at high risk for pregnancy related complications - I mean anything could happen at any time, but you could also stroke out or have an aneurism or any other number of medical issues pregnant or not. That said since you are mom of twins I would guess that your risk for complication would be higher than a single pregnancy and you might be a bit more conservative. But I don't think that it is irresponsible for a healthy woman early enough in her pregnancy to travel with her doctor's blessing.

This news originally came across my fb feed and a few people on that cruise posted - not verified of course - but that she had some kind of internal bleeding and had already required a couple of blood transfusions (the officers donated) but they needed to get her to a real hospital. Also that a family member posted to the cruise group she was in that she was doing ok. Not sure if this is true or not but I hope the second is!

She had a blood transfusion on the ship?? Yikes, she must have not been doing well to receive blood products that have not been processed.

 

[Mango7100]

To me there is a difference between traveling while pregnant and cruising while pregnant. Cruise ships are not equipped for emergency obstetric care or emergency neonatology which could be the difference in survival of the mother and/or baby. If I was pregnant I would feel comfortable traveling to an area with adequate medical care (like going to NYC). I would not feel comfortable being on a cruise ship or a Caribbean island (many of which simply don’t have the medical infrastructure). Obviously an emergency can happen at any time but during pregnancy you are at increased risk for stroke/blood clots/etc.

And yes, Zika is still a concern in the Caribbean but not as prevalent as 2017/2018. countries are Zika free but other countries/territories have cases of Zika in 2023 (such as Mexico, Puerto Rico, Costa Rica).

 

[jdb in AZ]

We were on the Wonder several years ago when a helicopter landed on deck and evacuated a patient -- an elderly gentleman. That seemed a lot less harrowing than the rescue basket the Coast Guard used to evacuate the pregnant woman from the Fantasy. I wonder if the Coast Guard helicopter was too large to land on the Fantasy.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

If there were no complications, and she was under 24 weeks, I don't see why she wouldn't have thought to go. Especially if her OB cleared her. Is Zika virus still a thing? I avoided areas when we were trying to get pregnant, but never heard anything when I was (2019).

35+ years old pregnancies are considered high risk. I know, I've been there.