A family from Illinois is thankful that their son survived a medical emergency during a Caribbean cruise aboard Carnival’s Dream cruise ship which quickly turned into a nightmare. 

NBC Chicago reports that the Cohn family were three days into their week long cruise, when their 14 year old son Stephen became very ill with severe stomach pain and internal bleeding.

Heading to St. Thomas, the captain diverted the cruise ship to Puerto Rico.  However, Stephen’s medical  condition deteriorated and the captain summoned a coast guard helicopter to medevac the child from the ship.  The child’s mom, Michelle Cohn, was also lifted from the cruise ship and accompanied her son to an intensive care unit in Puerto Rico.

The helicopter rescue avoided what would have been a 6 hours journey to the port in Puerto Rico.

The boy’s parents thanked Carnival for saving their son’s life, saying "They saved his life. They absolutely saved his life." 

For other happy endings, read our articles about cruise ship medevacs here.

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Video credit:  NBC Chicago