Saturday-Day 7: @Sea and Medevac

I having a hard time keeping track of time.  We had set our clocks forward by one hour before arriving into Princess Cays this past Monday.  Ever since then, I have had no clue to the exact time.  We would have lunch at 2pm when I thought it was 12noon.  Really?  No wonder I haven't attended any morning events or afternoon shows.  I guess that's a good thing and just shows that I've been in cruise/vacation mode.

Around 12noon today we had an announcement in our room.  Normally announcements are made in the public areas of the ship (main hallways, venues, atrium, pool areas, etc).  Today the Captain was talking to us in our cabin.  I knew something was amiss.  We had an emergency situation where a fellow passenger has been in the Medical Center under the care of Dr Ranier for the last several hours.  Apparently, the patient needed hospital care and would evacuated by helicopter to a land hospital in Nassau. 

Around 1pm I left our cabin and went up two levels to deck 17-Sun deck.  There was already people milling around waiting for the helicopter.  I chatted with a few fellow cruisers, one of them had a Nikon camera.  Yay, a fellow Nikon Nerd!  The Captain made an announcement that there were logistic issues with trying to get a helicopter, so one may be coming from Miami(?) and might take another hour or so.  I left my upper deck perch and headed back to the cabin.  Hubby was resting.  A few minutes later the Captain came back online and said a helicopter was approaching our ship and he was calling out for the required personnel to commence evacuation.  I ran out of our cabin just in time to see some of the crew running down our hallway.  I went back up to my perch just in time to see the Coast Guard Medevac arriving in a distance:

There was also a Carnival ship sailing past us.  The helicopter swung sound the aft area of the ship and settled on the port side waiting for the patient and communicating with the ship personnel:

Lots of fellow cruisers gathered midship:

The Captain had said the evac process would take at least 30 minutes.  The evacuation would take place at the Terrace pool (aft).  They had drained the pool as well as cleared out the sun bathers and those using the walking/running track.  

The Coast Guard had made one pass over the aft area and then came back to the port side.  At that time, I went back to our cabin thinking I would have a better view versus trying to take pictures over people's heads.  

Hubby was already on the balcony and we could see the Coast Guard:

They made a second attempt and was able to get the patient onboard the helicopter.  Yes, a basket was more than likely used and yes, one of the ship's nurse or medic would have accompanied the patient to the hospital.  Yes, Princess takes great care. 

Looking forward of our ship we could see a Carnival ship passing us at the front.  Was this the same one that I saw on the Starboard side???

Saying a prayer to our fellow cruiser and their family.