A medical emergency has prompted the cruise ship Sun Princess, to head at full speed towards Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Canary Islands.
The ship’s captain made an announcement informing guests and crew that a passenger required urgent medical attention on land. Given the ship’s current location in the mid-Atlantic, air rescue operations are not feasible, making it necessary for the vessel to expedite its journey.
Originally scheduled to arrive in Tenerife on March 31, the Sun Princess is now expected to reach the island one day earlier to facilitate the medical evacuation.
In an announcement over the PA system, the Sun Princess the captain addressed passengers, explaining the situation.
"We have a medical emergency on board that requires urgent attention on land," he said. "Due to our location in the mid-Atlantic, it is not feasible for a rescue aircraft to reach us at this time. As a result, we are making every effort to arrive in Tenerife as soon as possible."
He reassured guests that the crew was working closely with medical professionals to ensure the best possible outcome for the affected passenger.
He explained that the ship's senior doctor had informed him the previous evening about a very sick passenger requiring urgent disembarkation.
"In conjunction with our shoreside health operations centre and our marine department, being mid-Atlantic, the only option open to us is to speed up and to get to Tenerife a little bit earlier than originally planned. So some of you may have noticed that around about 7:30 last night, we increased to full speed."
The ship is currently sailing at a maximum speed of 21.5 knots, with a goal to arrive in Tenerife on the morning of March 30. "This is all very tentative at this stage. It may change, obviously, depending on the weather and other factors, and I'll continue to keep you fully updated on our arrival into Tenerife."
Expressing concern for the ill passenger, the captain added, "I'm sure you'll all want to join me in wishing our patient the very best, as we keep them also in our thoughts and prayers."
Providing a weather update, the captain said, "Quite a strong easterly head breeze of 20 to 25 knots, so it is quite blustery across the open decks, just over 40 knots of relative wind, so please take care. Otherwise, slight to moderate seas and a short, moderate swell from the east. Partly cloudy with sunny spells, but there are some passing showers around. We'll try to avoid those as best as possible."
It remains unclear whether a rescue helicopter will be deployed once the ship enters the aircraft's operational range. Rescue helicopters typically have a limited range which can be a challenge in remote ocean locations.
