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'Should’ve used a plane': Internet reacts as Coast Guard chopper almost gets blown to sea amid rescue

'The aircrew experienced severe and rapidly deteriorating weather that forced them to abort the mission,' said a Coast Guard official

NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA: A coast guard helicopter was almost blown into the water while trying to save a cruise liner passenger, as seen in a harrowing video that was uploaded online. The MH60 Jayhawk crew was sent to the Carnival Dream cruise, which was sailing about 300 miles off the coast of Alabama, early morning of April 29 after the coast guard sector mobile received a request for a medical evacuation of a passenger who had developed symptoms similar to a heart attack, as per officials. 

However, as the helicopter approached, the weather began to deteriorate, with winds picking up speed. When the crew from coast guard air station New Orleans attempted to hoist one of the ship's nurses on board, it began to teeter back and forth, at some point being carried away from the ship. Soon after, the chopper began to plummet, only to come to a stop several feet over the sea as frightened cruise ship passengers cried, "Get up, get up."

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Why did the chopper incident occur?

According to coast guard officials, the incident happened when the crew lowered a rescue swimmer onto the top deck of the Carnival Dream cruise ship. They were attempting to lift the nurse when a strong gust of wind and rain pushed it to retreat away from the ship. A strong blast of wind caused the 14,500-pound flying machine to push "the aircraft close to the water's surface." "During the rescue, the aircrew experienced severe and rapidly deteriorating weather that forced them to abort the mission," Cmdr Keith Blair, a commanding officer at the Coast Guard air station in New Orleans reported. "Through exceptional real-time risk management, crew resource management and superb piloting, the aircrew was able to safely recover the aircraft and land at the air station without incident." Later that day, another crew was summoned to the ship and was able to "recover the patient and rescue swimmer, sending the patient to University Medical Center for treatment in stable condition."

'There is something definitely wrong with that chopper!'

Meanwhile, the Internet immediately reacted to the dramatic video with social media users raising concerns about the aircraft having no landing space. A user tweeted, "With the size of modern-day cruise ships, it seems silly not to have some portion of the deck that can be converted/used as a helipad." A user suspected an issue with the helicopter commenting, "There is something definitely wrong with that chopper! Hopefully they made it back to land safely." Someone suggested using a plane to face the wind. He mentioned, "Should’ve used a plane instead. A plane could’ve easily flown against the wind." A user remarked, "Helicopter are pointless aircraft can't handle bad weather and wind sheer." Many cheered for the pilot and said, "What an amazing job by the pilot, absolutely working those controls and still the sheer almost got them."

This article contains remarks made on the Internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online.