Dawn Princess Captain and Princess Cruises to Personally
Thank U.S.S. Ronald Reagan Captain and Crew for Successful Medical Evacuation
of Teenage Passenger
Rescue Teams Meet Face-to-Face for First Time Following
Dramatic Life Saving Operation and Emergency Appendectomy
Teen's Mother Present to Express Gratitude to Those
Who Helped Save Daughter's Life
WHAT: Officers and crew of the aircraft carrier USS
Ronald Reagan and cruise ship Dawn Princess will meet in person for
the first time since successfully evacuating and treating a teenage
passenger requiring an emergency appendectomy. The crew of Ronald Reagan
helped medevac 14-year-old Laura Montero, who suffered from a ruptured
appendix while vacationing aboard Dawn Princess sailing off the coast
of Baja, Mexico.
After a dramatic helicopter transfer to the aircraft
carrier, the ship's surgeon conducted an emergency appendectomy. The
captains of Dawn Princess and USS Ronald Reagan stayed in close contact
during the approximate six hours it took to bring the ships within helicopter
range during the night.
They will meet face-to-face for an official thank you,
not only from Princess but also from the teen's mother. Laura is still
recuperating in San Diego.
WHEN: Sunday, January 6, 2008 11 a.m.
WHERE: Broadway Pier -- Harbor Drive at Broadway Parking
will be available
Who: Press conference attendees include: Dawn Princess
Captain Marco Fortezze USS Ronald Reagan Captain Terry Kraft USS Ronald
Reagan Strike Group Commander, Rear Admiral James P. Wisecup HS-4 "Black
Knights" Helicopter Crew Captain Charles "Chip" Strangfeld, Commander,
Coast Guard Sector San Diego Laura Montero's mother Trudy LaField Dawn
Princess Officers and Medical Personnel Princess Cruises Senior Vice
President, Marine Operations Captain George Wright
BACKGROUND: In a dramatic medical evacuation at sea,
14-year-old Laura Montero of Albion, Ill., was successfully airlifted
from Dawn Princess in the early hours of Dec. 15, 2007, to the USS Ronald
Reagan (CVN76) where life saving emergency surgery was performed.
The girl was traveling with her family aboard the 2,000-passenger
Princess cruise ship when she became seriously ill with appendicitis
the evening of Dec. 14.
In coordination with the US Coast Guard, contact was
made with the USS Ronald Reagan, the Navy's newest and largest nuclear-powered
aircraft carrier. The navy ship was on training maneuvers approximately
500 miles away, and was the closest viable medical option available.
It took approximately six hours with the ships heading
full speed towards one another to get within helicopter range.
Captain Marco Fortezze of Dawn Princess and Captain
Terry Kraft of the USS Ronald Reagan stayed in close communication throughout
the night.
Once the carrier was within 175 miles of the ship, an
onboard HH-60H Seahawk helicopter was dispatched for a MEDEVAC mission.
Crews from the two ships worked together to negotiate Laura's evacuation
-- she was loaded into a basket and lifted to the helicopter -- from
the aft deck of Dawn Princess.
She was transported to the aircraft carrier's onboard
hospital, where successful surgery was completed. Laura is recuperating
at Rady Children's Hospital in San Diego and is expected to return home
next week.
(From Princess Cruises)
