TUI Cruises Shares Helicopter Rescue Drill on Mein Schiff 7 VIDEO

TUI Cruises has offered a glimpse into an important aspect of safety at sea by releasing footage of a helicopter evacuation training exercise involving *Mein Schiff 7 *off the Norwegian coast.

The drill was conducted near Bergen and showed how a cruise ship’s crew coordinates with emergency rescue teams during a medical evacuation at sea.

Video footage from the exercise shows a helicopter approaching the bow of Mein Schiff 7 before hovering above the cruise ship. Rescue personnel are then lowered onto the vessel’s deck using a winch.

Captain Explains Purpose of Evacuation Exercise

Mein Schiff 7 Captain Jens Troier features in the video, explaining the procedure and the reasons for carrying out the training.

Although the footage shows what appears to be a dramatic rescue operation, TUI Cruises confirmed that the event was purely a training exercise and nobody onboard was at risk.

The drill also gave the teams involved the opportunity to practice the procedure without the urgency that would accompany a genuine medical emergency.

During a real incident, a helicopter evacuation may be necessary when a passenger or crew member needs urgent medical care ashore and the ship cannot reach a suitable port quickly enough.

Rescue Teams Practice Emergency Procedures

TUI Cruises said exercises of this kind play an important role in maintaining high safety standards at sea.

A successful helicopter evacuation requires careful coordination between numerous people, including the ship’s crew, coast guard teams, helicopter pilots, paramedics and winch operators.

As part of the exercise near Bergen, the helicopter approached *Mein Schiff 7 *at speed before two rescue specialists were lowered onto the vessel.

The realistic training scenario enabled both the helicopter team and those onboard the cruise ship to practice essential procedures, including communication, positioning and their response to an emergency situation.

Safety on the world’s oceans is no coincidence - it’s the result of precision and continuous training,” TUI Cruises said in its description of the drill, noting that such exercises help ensure crews are prepared when a real emergency occurs.