Coast Guard Airlift from Carnival Spirit, June 9, 2011

Several people have asked me to post video of the Coast Guard airlift that took place on our Alaska Cruise. More details about this incident can be found on my earlier blog dated June 10.

This rescue took place just outside Tracy Arm Fjord because a sick passenger needed to be flown to an onshore hospital. We were watching the events from our balcony on deck 7. The Coast Guard lowered a rescue swimmer to the Lido Deck on deck 9. We were so close that eventually we were asked to go inside our cabin for safety reasons.  The wind from the helicopter was stirring up the water so much that we were getting splashed even 7 stories up! And I had to hold the camera with two hands to keep it from blowing out of my hands.

At about the :16 second mark you can see the rescue swimmer coming out the helicopter. Then at :21 he is being lowered onto the deck.

It was amazing to watch our Coast Guard in action.  Three cheers to the USCG!