Briton on drillship off Cyprus airlifted to hospital
A 42-year-old British crew member, who suffered a heart attack on a drillship off Cyprus, had to wait twelve hours before he could be airlifted to hospital due to poor weather conditions.
According to Cyprus News Agency (CNA), state authorities were notified on Wednesday evening around 6.40 p.m. that a male crew member on the Stena Icemax ship, used by US oil giant ExxonMobil to drill for hydrocarbons, was in need of medical treatment following a cardiac event.
A police helicopter was dispatched to the ship along with a medic who offered first aid to the patient. But the helicopter could not fly immediately back to the hospital due to severe weather conditions in the area.
A yellow alert had been in effect since Wednesday morning due to rain showers and possible hailstorms.
The helicopter finally took off Thursday morning and landed on the helipad of Nicosia General Hospital around 7 a.m.
The patient was said to be in stable condition.
[Kathimerini Cyprus]
