What was supposed to be a memorable first cruise for one Louisiana woman quickly turned into a medical emergency after she was seriously injured during a rope swing excursion in Honduras.
Kirsten Lindsey and her boyfriend, Blake Ford, were sailing aboard a Carnival cruise ship when the incident occurred. On the third day of their cruise, while their ship was visiting Honduras, Lindsey suffered what Ford described as a “catastrophic saddle injury” during a rope swing excursion.
Ford has since organized a GoFundMe to help cover Lindsey’s emergency evacuation, medical treatment, travel expenses, and ongoing recovery costs.
Video of the incident shared by KTAL News shows Lindsey holding a knotted rope swing while standing on an elevated platform above the water. As she swung away from the platform, a thin retrieval line, sometimes called a tag line, appeared to become caught between her legs.
The line briefly held Lindsey before she released the swing and fell into the water. Distressed bystanders can be heard yelling that the line was caught between her legs before asking whether she was okay.
According to Ford, the retrieval line appeared to have been connected improperly. Ford explained in the GoFundMe, “Based on what we witnessed, a retrieval/tag line appears to have been improperly connected to the swing. As she swung out, the line tightened between her legs just before she dropped, causing a catastrophic injury.”
Lindsey initially thought the injury was a scratch
At first, Lindsey did not believe she had been seriously injured by the incident. In fact, Ford said Lindsey was able to walk back to the excursion transportation and reportedly tried to laugh through the pain. However, her condition deteriorated within hours.
Ford described how Lindsey’s pain became unbearable, and swelling around the injury eventually reached approximately the size of a baseball. Lindsey ultimately needed a wheelchair to return to the couple’s cabin. Shortly after, Ford said he called 911 from the cruise ship before Lindsey was rushed to the onboard medical center. Doctors treated her for hours as the pain and swelling continued to worsen.
In the description of the couple’s GoFundMe, Ford said Lindsey spent approximately 26 hours inside the medical facility while they waited for an evacuation.
During that time, Ford said Lindsey’s pain became so severe that she could barely move. At one point, he claimed medical staff attempted to keep her awake because she would stop breathing whenever she drifted off after receiving pain medication.
The couple was given three medical options
(Images of Lindsey's evacuation provided by KTAL News)
As Lindsey’s condition worsened, the ship’s medical team reportedly presented the couple with three options. They could arrange an emergency air evacuation to the United States, transfer Lindsey to a hospital in Mexico and find their own way home, or have her remain in the ship’s medical facility for the rest of the cruise.
The GoFundMe identified Cozumel as the location of the proposed hospital. The couple chose the emergency air evacuation, believing it was the best option for Lindsey’s treatment.
“We chose the air evacuation because we believed it was the best way to get Kirsten the care she needed,” Ford told KTAL.
According to Ford, the couple was told they would need to pay a $20,000 deposit for the evacuation, followed by another $30,000 after arriving in the United States. They reportedly had only a few hours to make the decision.
Medical bills reached thousands before evacuation
According to the GoFundMe, charges from the cruise ship’s medical center reached approximately $3,500. Ford said that amount did not include physician services, medications, or procedures.
After hours of delays, Ford said Lindsey was transported by ambulance through severe weather to an airport in Mexico. A private medical jet then flew the couple to Fort Lauderdale, Florida, for further treatment.
According to KTAL, Lindsey was transported to HCA Florida Aventura Hospital after arriving in the United States. She underwent her first surgery at the hospital.
After returning home to Louisiana, Lindsey has continued receiving care through CHRISTUS Highland Medical Center in Shreveport. As of the station’s latest update on July 20, she was undergoing a second surgery as part of her recovery.
Couple is overwhelmed by the financial burden
It is unclear whether the couple had travel insurance, but Ford said they have been left with mounting medical, transportation, and recovery expenses following the accident.
“The financial impact has been overwhelming,” Ford wrote in the fundraiser description. “Between emergency transportation, medical expenses, travel, lodging, lost income, and the unexpected costs of getting ourselves and our vehicle back home, the expenses continue to grow.”
Based on the costs provided by the couple, their expenses have already exceeded $53,000. Ford states, “If you feel led to help, any amount—no matter how small—will go directly toward: emergency medical expenses, air evacuation and transportation costs, hospital bills and follow-up care, travel and lodging while she recovers, and getting us and our vehicle home safely.”
They have also asked those unable to donate to share the fundraiser and keep Lindsey in their thoughts and prayers.
“We still have a long road ahead. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for your kindness, support, and prayers during one of the hardest times we’ve ever faced," Ford wrote.
Incident highlights the importance of travel insurance
No one wants to consider a worst-case scenario while planning a vacation. However, travel insurance can provide important financial protection when an unexpected emergency occurs during a cruise.
Any sort of medical emergency can leave travelers responsible for substantial out-of-pocket costs. For this reason, medical and evacuation coverage can be one of the most important considerations when purchasing travel insurance.
Lindsey’s accident highlights just how quickly those expenses can grow when a passenger requires extensive medical treatment and an emergency evacuation. And while having some sort of travel insurance is crucial, it’s also important to review the plan's coverage and policy limits.
According to the U.S. Department of State, a medical evacuation to the United States can cost between $20,000 and $200,000, depending on the traveler’s location and condition. Many domestic health insurance plans do not cover emergency transportation from another country.
Additionally, cruisers should confirm that a policy covers the activities they plan to participate in, as some insurers exclude injuries involving excursions or activities considered hazardous.
Other cruise medical evacuations have cost more than $100,000
Lindsey is not the only cruise passenger to face a substantial bill after requiring emergency medical transportation. Other reported incidents have resulted in evacuation costs exceeding $100,000.
In May 2026, Royal Caribbean Blog reported on a passenger who experienced a life-threatening medical emergency aboard Radiance of the Seas. The passenger began feeling dizzy and short of breath on the fifth day of a 7-night cruise while the ship was visiting Nassau.
He initially returned to his cabin to rest and avoided the ship’s medical center because he was concerned about the cost. However, his condition continued to deteriorate. His wife eventually called 911 from their cabin, and he was taken to the onboard medical facility.
Testing revealed that his hemoglobin level had fallen to 6.8, indicating significant blood loss. The ship had already departed Nassau, but the next scheduled port did not have the medical facilities needed to treat his condition. As a result, Radiance of the Seas turned around and returned to The Bahamas for the guest to receive treatment ashore.
The passenger was taken by ambulance to Princess Margaret Hospital, where he remained for approximately 15 hours. Royal Caribbean later coordinated an air evacuation through Offshore Medical Logistics. A nurse and paramedic began administering whole blood before the passenger was flown aboard a small Learjet to South Florida. He arrived at Broward County Hospital later that afternoon for further treatment.
The private medical flight reportedly cost around $126,000. In addition, the passenger was charged $3,100 for treatment aboard the ship and nearly $1,000 by the hospital in Nassau. Hotel accommodations, meals, and other unexpected expenses added to the total.
Unlike Lindsey’s case, the passenger confirmed that he had travel insurance and expected the policy to reimburse the medical charges, evacuation, lodging, and necessary food expenses.
Allie Hubers
Allie Hubers has been cruising since she was a toddler. What started as a yearly vacation with family quickly turned into a passion for travel, cruising, and adventure. She's sailed on 50+ cruises and visited more than 60 countries. Hubers even studied abroad on Semester at Sea, sailing the world on a ship while taking courses for college and visiting 4 continents.
She has contributed her travel and cruise expertise to numerous publications, including Business Insider, US News & World Report, and Travel Lemming. Hubers earned her MBA in Data Analytics and works as a senior strategy analyst.
