Two unwell passengers airlifted to hospital from Costa Diadema

The master and crew from Costa Diadema worked closely with the Italian Coast Guard and Italian Air Force to safely airlift to a shore-based hospital two passengers suffering from heart problems as the ship was cruising from Palma di Majorca to Naples.

The two rescues took place on January 7. The first, saw an Italian Coast Guard Search and Rescue boat scrambling from Cagliari to reached Costa Diadema at sea and successfully transfer the unwell passenger to a hospital in Cagliari. 

The second rescue operation was completed at night as the ship was cruising 50 nautical miles southeast of Sardinia.

An AB-212 Search and Rescue helicopter, based at Decimomannu air base on Sardinia island near Cagliari,  launched at 9.45pm with  a five member crew and the local hospital’s emergency doctor and nurse. It reached the ship one hour later, and the passenger was successfully airlifted by hoist onboard the helicopter and taken to a local hospital.