Photo: 129th Rescue Wing

Update: As reported by CBS — The Coast Guard says the baby, along with her parents and 3-year-old sister, boarded the USS Vandegrift at 8 a.m. Sunday. The baby girl was in stable condition and was heading to San Diego for medical treatment.

On Thursday, four pararescuers from the California Air National Guard 129th Rescue Wing parachuted to the 36′ sailboat, Rebel Heart, in the Pacific roughly 900 nautical miles off the coast of Cabo San Lucas, Mexico.  The pararescuers helped stabilize a seriously ill one year old infant girl aboard the sailboat.  USS Vandegrift, an Oliver Hazard Perry-class frigate, was dispatched from San Diego and traveled at close to 30 knots to reach the sailboat. The Vandegrift is equipped with an inflatable boat and a helicopter, but no decision has been made yet about the mode of transfer until officials can evaluate the sea conditions and other factors, said Lt. Lenaya Rotklein of the U.S. Third Fleet.

Two weeks ago, Charlotte and Eric Kaufman and their daughters, three year old Cora and one year old Lyra set sail from the Pacific coast of Mexico on their Hans Christian 36, Rebel Heart, on the first leg of what they hoped would be a circumnavigation of the world.  Prior to their departure, one year old Lyra was stricken with salmonella poisoning, but she is reported to have recovered and that doctors cleared her to travel.

The first fourteen days of the voyage are documented on the Rebel Heart blog.  The conditions described are difficult and challenging, with a mix of calm and high winds, but in general things seem to be going well aboard the yacht. From Eric’s blog post on Day 12: The advantage is that we’re hauling ass, making one hundred mile days with severely reduced canvas …. The disadvantage is that the motion is brutal, especially when you do it day in and day out.   Charlotte’s blog for day 14, however is cryptic and ominous:  If you can’t say anything nice, don’t say anything at all.

Apparently, one year old Lyra got a fever and a rash, which covered most of her body, and was reportedly not be responding to medication.  There are also reports that the boat had suffered some sort of mechanical failure, which is described as a failure of communications equipment and that the boat took on water whenever the motor was started.

The four pararescuers have stayed aboard the Rebel Heart and are keeping watch on Lyra until the Vandegrift  transfers the child to shore. Lyra still requires medical treatment, and the rescuers plan to stay with her until she reaches a hospital.