The California Air National Guard and U.S. Navy are involved in a complex rescue mission to help a sick baby on a boat off the coast of Mexico.
The one-year-old girl, her 3-year-old sister and her parents from San Diego set sail two weeks ago for the latest leg of their trip around the world.
The family is sailing aboard a 36-foot boat named the "Rebel Heart," blogging and posting pictures online.
On Thursday, the Bay Area’s 129th Rescue Wing received a call from the U.S. National Guard about a “seriously ill” girl aboard the boat located about 900 nautical miles off the coast of Mexico.
Two rescue helicopters took off Thursday to join the rescue mission.
After a five-hour flight, a team of four “Guardian Angel” pararescuemen jumped into the open ocean to board the Rebel Heart.
The California Air National Guard unit based out of Moffett Field reported that they had reached the family who were in "good spirits."
After checking the girl’s vitals, the crew determined the girl was in stable condition.
Now rescuers have discovered the sailboat has no power and no capability of steering itself. They’re working on a plan to get the baby and her family members off the boat and to safety.
The 129th Rescue Wing said in an email that its crews will be sending a "Combat Shadow" aircraft Friday morning to complete a "complex, overwater rescue mission" of the child, and bring her to the closest hospital.
NBC 7 has learned the baby may suffer from some type of salmonella and has been given antibiotics.
San Diego-based USS Vandegrift was en route to the area of The Rebel Heart and was expected to be near the family's boat by 4 p.m. Friday.
The family’s latest leg around the world was to take them across the Pacific Ocean towards the South Pacific Islands and eventually New Zealand.
The girl's mother, Charlotte Kaufman, has chronicled her adventures of sailing across the world while pregnant and had them published in San Diego Magazine.
The couple keep travel blogs showing that they are "working our way around the world."
Eric Kaufman's blog states that he is in his mid 30s and a USCG licensed caption, in addition to his day job for a financial services company.
He is also a scuba diver.
Charlotte said she is a former high school teacher and founder of an Etsy blog called Red Charlotte.
The 129th Rescue Wing will be live tweeting the rescue at @129RQW.