the last day of the cruise was supposed to be a leisurely day at sea, spent traveling back to ft. lauderdale from cozumel. no such luck. someone on board had a medical emergency, and the closest port was in cuba. so the boat sped up significantly and we were met by a coast guard helicopter near the florida keys. the top decks were closed for about forty-five minutes while the evacuation took place... so of course, everyone rushed out to their balconies with their cameras. us included. we didn't get any shots of the injured party, who was pulled onto the helicopter strapped to a stretcher. (the entire thing was broadcast live over closed-circuit television. media whores, every last one of us!) but geoff did get a good shot of the coast guard rescue guy on his way onto the boat.

a bit later, the (british) captain announced that the "unfortunate passenger" had arrived safely in florida and was receiving medical attention. a rather strange phrase, but maybe it's a british thing. or maybe he was referring to the bill that the coast guard will be sending out for services rendered.