A mother and her child in crisis were airlifted by helicopter from a Carnival Cruise Line ship on Saturday in a hair-raising Air Force rescue. The rescue operation involved two HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopters, two HC-130J Combat King 11 aircraft, and two teams of combat rescue officers and pararescuemen from Patrick Space Force Base in Brevard County, Florida. The rescue mission required covering a distance of 350 nautical miles off the U.S. eastern coast to reach the Carnival Venezia.
The Carnival Venezia had departed from Port Canaveral, Florida, on April 26 for a 10-day cruise to the Bahamas and Caribbean. To reach the ship's location, the rescuers had to undergo three air-to-air refuelings, showcasing the precision and coordination involved in such operations.
