Passenger Airlifted From MSC Orchestra After Medical Emergency

A 56-year-old woman from Peru was evacuated from the cruise ship MSCOrchestra on Wednesday morning after experiencing a stroke while the vessel was sailing toward Valencia.

The medical emergency was reported at around 6:30 am as the ship was transiting the Gulf of Asinara, roughly 50 nautical miles from the Italian port of Porto Torres. In response, the local Port Authority, in coordination with the national Operations Center in Rome and the ship’s crew, quickly activated emergency procedures.

After reviewing the case with the ship’s physician, the International Radio-Medical Center (CIRM) determined that the passenger needed immediate hospital care and ordered a medical evacuation. The Porto Torres Coast Guard then instructed MSC Orchestra to change course toward the central part of the Gulf of Asinara, where weather and sea conditions were more suitable for the operation.

A search and rescue patrol boat was deployed and reached the cruise ship at approximately 9:50 am, about five nautical miles off Porto Torres. The passenger was safely transferred to the rescue vessel and taken ashore.

The operation was completed around 10:25 am, when the woman was brought to the Porto Torres Port Authority pier and transferred to Italy’s 118 emergency medical service. She was later transported to a hospital in Sassari for further medical care.

Once the evacuation was complete, MSC Orchestra received clearance to continue its planned voyage to Valencia.