British passenger evacuated from Celebrity Apex off Spain
Spanish maritime rescue crews airlifted the 82-year-old to shore after a medical emergency during a voyage from Southampton to Portugal.
An 82-year-old British passenger was flown to a hospital in north-western Spain following an acute medical emergency aboard Celebrity Apex off the coast of Galicia.
The evacuation was requested on Thursday while the Celebrity Cruises ship was sailing from Southampton to Leixões, near Porto in northern Portugal. The vessel was about 435 kilometres offshore when the emergency call was made.
Spain’s Finisterre Coastguard Station coordinated the long-range operation and instructed Celebrity Apex to sail toward land, reducing the distance rescue crews needed to travel. A Helimer 402 search-and-rescue helicopter subsequently reached the ship about 333 kilometres from the Galician coast.
The aircrew winched the passenger from an upper deck and transported him to A Coruña Airport. Paramedics provided initial treatment there before he was transferred to a local hospital. Authorities had not publicly released his identity or details of his medical condition.
Celebrity Apex, operated by Celebrity Cruises, entered service in 2021.