A helicopter of the Italian Coast Guard performed medical evacuation of a female crew member of the cruise ship MSC Virtuosa off the coast of Capo Spartivento, 110 nautical miles east of the Catania coast.

On the morning of Wednesday, November 8, the Catania Coast Guard Aircraft Base received a call for the evacuation of a crew member of the cruise ship MSC Virtuosa.

The need for evacuation was necessary due to the great distance from the coast and the extended time required for transporting the nineteen-year-old to a hospital. She had been experiencing symptoms that suggested a suspicion of meningitis for several hours.

The MSC Virtuosa departed from the port of Naples the previous evening, heading to the Greek port of Piraeus. The rescue crew expedited the transshipment to ensure the maximum speed of evacuation and transport, crucial for providing medical relief.

The AW139 Coast Guard helicopter transported the woman to the "Cannizzaro" civil hospital in Catania.