Quantum Leap Rescue Caught on Video

As reported last Wednesday, Washington state-based sailor Phillip Johnson, 62, and two crewmen were rescued 600 miles off Hawaii by staff of the 815-ft cruise ship Celebrity Century.

Johnson, a retired U.S. Navy airman with 40 years of sailing experience, suffered serious spinal injuries when his 48-ft aluminum sailboat Quantum Leap was broached by an irregular wave during a night of rough weather. After the crew called the US Coast Guard’s Honolulu office for help via their satellite phone, the 1,800-passenger cruiseliner was diverted and, as you can see in this on-board video, the three sailors were safely brought aboard. As far as we know, Quantum Leap remains adrift, unattended.

The Celebrity Century is one of many cruise ships and international cargo vessels — as well as virtually all international airlines — that voluntarily participate in the AMVER system (originally known as the Atlantic Merchant Vessel Emergency Reporting System), which has been responsible the saving countless lives since its inception in the late 1950s.