A Maryland State Police helicopter took part in a dramatic rescue Tuesday night (October 29) of a sick passenger from an AIDA ship in the Chesapeake Bay.
According to the state police, they got word from the USCG (United States Coast Guard) about a 61-year-old woman who was experiencing a medical emergency aboard AIDAluna about 9:40 p.m. on Tuesday.
The state police Aviation Command from Easton MD flew an AW-139 helicopter to the vessel, which was south of Bay Bridge close to Kent Island.
The helicopter hovered 120 ft (37 m) above the ship’s deck during the “aerial hoist operation,” while a state police paramedic was lowered, secured the passenger in a special device, and both the medic and the woman were lifted back to the helicopter.
The patient was flown to Baltimore's University of Maryland Medical Center. There was no further information about her condition.
AIDAluna had left Baltimore MD on Tuesday and at the time of the accident was en route to Norfolk VA. On October 26 started the 22-day Caribbean cruise from NYC New York to Montego Bay Jamaica.
For other AIDAluna accidents and incidents see the ship's CruiseMinus page.