Poor visibility. Strong winds. Thick fog. Even for the seasoned pilots and pararescue teams of the California Air National Guard’s 129th Rescue Wing, a late-night mission to a stranded cruise ship last week was nothing short of “high risk.”
Yet, when a 79-year-old passenger aboard the Ruby Princess, over 100 miles off the California coast, was reported unresponsive, the call for help could not be ignored. “This person was probably going to die today if they didn’t get picked up,” said Lt. Col. Ben Copley, a helicopter pilot with the 129th Rescue Wing.
The mission began with the HC-130 Combat King II already in the air on a training flight. Once alerted, the 129th’s aircrews and pararescuemen sprang into action. Flying through a nearly moonless night, heavy fog, and relentless winds, the HH-60W rescue helicopter braved the dark, navigating toward the ship using only night vision goggles. “We trained to find the boat, to shoot an approach, to hold a stable hover, to hoist the PJs off the boat. We don’t train to do it inside a fog bank,” Copley explained.
Upon reaching the Ruby Princess, the pararescue crew was lowered onto the ship, where they worked tirelessly for an hour, stabilizing the woman and preparing her for extraction. Using a precise hoist operation, they lifted her from the ship’s deck into the hovering helicopter and flew her safely back to San Jose for urgent medical care.
This daring rescue highlights the courage, skill, and relentless dedication of the 129th Rescue Wing. Time and again, these men and women risk their own safety to save lives, confronting nature’s fiercest obstacles with precision and bravery.
In just four months, U.S. forces have returned to the Ruby Princess for emergency evacuations, underscoring the continuous need for these elite teams. Each mission, especially one as perilous as this, stands as a testament to the Air Guard’s unwavering commitment to protecting lives—even when the odds are daunting.
The story of this mission is a reminder that heroism often comes in the quiet hours of the night, through fog and storm, and in the steady hands of those trained to face the impossible—and triumph.
