D-M rescue unit assists cruise ship emergency

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Clark Staehle
  • 355th Wing Public Affairs
DAVIS-MONTHAN AIR FORCE BASE, Ariz. --  A unit here participated in a rescue operation, saving a life off the coast of California April 19. 

The 79th Rescue Squadron, a 347th Rescue Wing geographically separated unit, assisted two helicopters from the 129th Rescue Wing at Moffett Field, near San Francisco. 

The pair of helicopters and their crews had been tasked with rescuing a man suffering from acute appendicitis from a cruise ship. Appendicitis can be a fatal condition if it is not treated immediately. 

“The squadron received the call around 7:30 a.m.,” said Maj. Kenneth Arcoleo, 79th Rescue Squadron pilot assigned to the mission. “I showed up for a normal training flight around 8 a.m. and they informed me there was a medical emergency aboard a cruise liner off the coast of California and we might be involved in a rescue mission.” 

Without an aircraft capable to refuel them, the helicopters could not fly the 800-mile mission. 

The MC-130P from Moffett Field tasked for the mission was grounded due to maintenance issues, so the call to action was then passed to a 79th RQS HC-130P/N. 

“After we started the mission, our first event was to perform helicopter air refueling while the helicopters were still en route to the ship (off the coast of California),” Major Arcoleo said. “Once the air refueling was complete, we proceeded ahead at a faster speed to find the ship and pass coordinates to the helicopter crews.” 

After refueling the helicopters the first time, Major Arcoleo flew the plane ahead about 40 minutes to rendezvous with the cruise ship. The HC-130 circled the ship until the helicopters arrived on scene. 

Once at the ship, pararescuemen with the 129th Rescue Wing were lowered to the deck where the patient was fastened to a litter and lifted to safety. 

“After the patient pickup was completed, we performed one last helicopter air refueling to ensure they had enough fuel to return,” Major Arcoleo said. 

While the mission itself may seem simple, a lot of planning can go into such an  undertaking. 

“When you get a call like this, a lot of ideas get thrown in on what to do and everyone chipped in with their suggestions and we were able to come up with an appropriate plan,” Major Arcoleo said. 

Members of Davis-Monthan’s pararescue community also accompanied the plane’s crew, on the chance they might have been needed to provide extra support. 

While the crew helped save someone from danger, refueling aircraft while airborne is not without its own dangers. 

“(This) is a dangerous process,” Major Arcoleo said. “(When we’re refueling,) we’re flying in close proximity to the helicopter and it’s not an easy task. They’re trying to place their air-refueling probe into a very small basket that’s only a couple feet wide. It’s a very difficult task...” 

The patient was taken to a civilian hospital near Moffett Field where he was stabilized at Stanford Medical University Center.