84-Year-Old Airlifted from Cruise Ship After Heart Attack

An 84-year-old German passenger was airlifted from the cruise ship Mein Schiff 3 after suffering a severe heart attack while the vessel was sailing through the Atlantic Ocean.

The medical evacuation took place on April 20, 2025, when the ship was approximately 180 nautical miles (about 315 kilometers) northeast of São Miguel Island in the Azores. The distress call was received around 11:30 a.m., prompting an immediate response from the Portuguese Navy’s Maritime Search and Rescue Coordination Center in Ponta Delgada (MRCC Delgada).

Working in coordination with the Maritime Urgent Patient Guidance Center (CODU-MAR) and the Air Search and Rescue Center (RCC Lajes), an EH-101 helicopter from the Portuguese Air Force (FAP) was dispatched to carry out the rescue.

The helicopter successfully reached Mein Schiff 3, hoisted the patient onboard, and transported him to Ponta Delgada Airport, landing at 8:09 p.m. The man was then transferred to a hospital on São Miguel Island for emergency medical treatment.