A seriously ill sailor was airlifted to Shannon airport from a ship in the middle of the Atlantic yesterday in a rescue operation involving the Royal Air Force, the United States Air Force and the British coast guard.
At lunchtime on Thursday, the Pascha bulk carrier was 700 miles west of Ireland. The crew reported that head chef Roque Bergado (34) was complaining of severe stomach pains.
The ship was well beyond the range of US and UK rescue helicopters. By 1.30pm yesterday, when helicopters reached the vessel, it was 400 miles west of Shannon. After being airlifted from the ship at 2.15pm, the patient was transferred to Limerick Regional Hospital.