A 65 years-old English woman was rescued yesterday about 500 meters from the coast of Santa Cruz. She arrived on Saturday in Madeira, accompanied by her husband, on the cruise ship Marco Polo. After failing to get back on board, the ship set sail without her at 8:00 p.m.

The woman decided to return to England by plane, and went to the district of Santa Cruz, east of Funchal, to Madeira International Airport.

On the way to the airport she saw the cruise ship "Marco Polo" sailing away, and she went to the water and started swimming towards the ship with her handbag on her shoulder. The woman managed to swim 500 meters when she give up her pursuit around midnight. She was spoted by the crew of a small fishing boat after they heard her screaming and turned around to help. She was imidietley transfered to the Hospital Dr. Nelio Mendonca in Funchal, where he was hospitalized. Her husband is onboard the cruise ship heading to Lisbon, Portugal.