An unwell passenger on board the luxury cruise ship Queen Victoria had to be airlifted to St Mary’s Hospital last night (Sunday).
The Cunard-owned ship left Southampton for Stavanger, Norway yesterday afternoon. But things took an unexpected turn just a few hours into the cruise – whilst several miles South of Selsey Bill and to the East of the Isle of Wight – when a passenger became seriously ill.
HM Coastguard was alerted to the situation resulting in Coastguard Rescue 175 helicopter from Lee-on-Solent being scrambled to assist at around 22:30.
A winchman was lowered down onto the deck to assess the casualty, who was then winched straight up into the helicopter and flown directly to St Mary’s Hospital, landing on the helipad at around 23:05.
Bizarrely, it is almost an exact repeat of an incident back in June this year when a passenger on board Queen Victoria, which was also heading to Stavanger at the time, was taken ill. In October last year, a passenger had to be airlifted off the Queen Mary II.
The Bermuda-flagged Queen Victoria has now continued her voyage to Stavanger, albeit with some delay.
