Caribbean Travelers

Eva Bready

San Antonio, TX

Mrs. Eva Bready was enjoying a cruise vacation when she suffered a broken pelvis and arm. She was hospitalized in Nassau, Bahamas. We received a call regarding her emergency situation on Saturday, September 26, 1998.

Her daughter, Dr. Lois Bready, who was in San Antonio, Texas, was very helpful in facilitating the air evac. (And most impressed by SkyMed's Director of Client Services, Dorothy Howell).

At the time of her hospitalization, little did Mrs. Bready realize that Huricane George was raging over the Gulf of Mexico, which is the direct flight path from Nassau to San Antonio.

Our medical flight team flew into Nassau the next day, Sunday, the 27th, moved Mrs. Bready to the waiting jet, then dodged around Hurricane George, delivering her safely to. the hospital in San Antonio.

A compounding problem was locating, on such short notice, a medically equipped jet capable of performing this literal rescue. Almost every emergency aircraft and emergency vehicle/ambulance had been commandeered for use in the Hurricane George weather tragedy.

To add to her stress, the local doctors in Nassau, realizing Mrs. Bready's unfortunate circumstance, wanted to extract a "special" $3,000.00 payment as a hospital "release fee"! Our Sunday airlift avoided that surcharge.

Had Mrs. Bready been required to do her own flight search, it may well have been impossible. And, if she had been fortunate enough to get a medically equipped jet it would likely have cost her $20,000.00, cash before boarding!

Another interesting note, Mrs. Bready renewed and extended her membership on September 11 th, two weeks before her emergency air evac!