A crew member aboard a TUI Cruises ship required an urgent medical evacuation shortly after the vessel departed from Santa Cruz de Tenerife in the Canary Islands.

Maritime Rescue authorities responded on Friday night after receiving a report that a crew member on the cruise ship Mein Schiff Relax needed urgent medical attention on land. The ship had only recently left port when the onboard doctor determined that the individual required immediate hospital treatment that could not be safely provided at sea.

Following the medical assessment, Spain’s Maritime Rescue agency activated the rescue vessel Salvamar Tenerife, which was dispatched to intercept the cruise ship. Rescue teams successfully carried out the evacuation maneuver, safely transferring the crew member from the ship to the rescue vessel.

The patient was then transported to shore, where the Canary Islands Emergency Service (SUC) was waiting to provide further medical assistance and transfer the crew member to a hospital for urgent care.

Authorities have not released details about the crew member’s nationality, position onboard, or the nature of the medical emergency.

Medical evacuations, while relatively rare, are critical operations that highlight the coordination between shipboard medical teams and shore-side emergency responders to ensure crew and passenger safety.

We wish the crew member a full and speedy recovery.