Elderly cruise passenger airlifted off AIDAstella cruise ship off Cape Agulhas 

A 72-year-old cruise passenger has been medically evacuated from the German cruise ship AIDAstella cruising off the coast of Cape Agulhas.

NSRI Agulhas, the local base for the South African National Search and Rescue Institute, was put on alert at 11.38am Sunday when AIDAstella reported a German passenger had suffered a medical emergency.

A 22 Squadron SAAF (SA Air Force) Oryx helicopter was prepared for a medical evacuation and took off with three NSRI ASR (Airborne Sea Rescue) rescue swimmers and a WC Government Health EMS rescue paramedic onboard.

The helicopter rendezvoused with the ship 20 nautical offshore of Cape Agulhas and the NSRI ASR rescue swimmer and the EMS rescue paramedic were hoisted onto the vessel.

The patient had been secured by ships medical staff and after being loaded into a stretcher the patient, in a serious condition, was hoisted into the helicopter followed by the rescue crew.

The patient was airlifted to Ysterplaat Air Force Base where ER24 ambulance services, Life Healthcare response paramedics, and Taurus Medical were in attendance.

The 72-year-old patient was transported to hospital by ER24 ambulance in a serious but stable condition.

AIDAstella is in the midst of a repositioning cruise from the Mediterranean to Asia. Like all other major cruise lines, AIDA Cruises has been forced to avoid the Red Sea and sail around Africa instead of through the Suez Canal, due to the security crisis in Yemen.

The ship is sailing a 43-night cruise from Palma de Mallorca to Dubai, but had departed November 8th from Cape Town on a separate 24-night Cape Town to Dubai leg visiting Port Elizabeth, East London, and Durban in South Africa, as well as Mauritius and Reunion in the Indian Ocean.

AISAstella arrived in Port Elizabeth as scheduled on Monday, and was staying overnight in port as part of her regular itinerary at the time of writing.

The National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) in South Africa is a volunteer-based organisation dedicated to saving lives along the country’s coastline and inland waters. 

With 40 coastal and inland stations, it provides 24/7 emergency rescue services, training, and education in water safety, relying heavily on donations and community support.