Ill Passenger Airlifted from Royal Caribbean's Grandeur of the Seas

A passenger aboard Royal Caribbean International's Grandeur of the Seas was airlifted to a nearby hospital Friday after experiencing a medical emergency requiring urgent care, DelmarvaNow.com reported over the weekend.

A Maryland State Police helicopter responded to the emergency shortly before 9:30 p.m. local time Friday, hoisting the adult male passenger from the vessel and transporting him to Peninsula Regional Medical Center in Salisbury, Maryland.

The crew aboard the Grandeur of the Seas alerted the Maryland State Police Aviation Command to the situation after it was determined the passenger required immediate cardiac care, state police said. The helicopter was then dispatched to the southern part of the Chesapeake Bay, roughly 10 miles southwest of Tangier Island.

Despite having performed several aerial hoists off of cargo ships, state police told DelmarvaNow.com that Friday's rescue was the first involving a cruise ship.

Grandeur of the Seas is one of six ships that comprise Royal Caribbean's Vision class. The ship sails the Chesapeake Bay often, as its homeport is located in Baltimore.

The 2,446-passenger cruise ship is scheduled to depart Baltimore Friday for a seven-night cruise to Bermuda.

Source: Travel Pulse