Call for an instant quote 0345 90 80 161
Open Mon to Fri 09:00 - 17:30 | Sat 09:00 - 16:00 (GMT)
12 April 2012 13:31
A helicopter was called upon to airlift the cameraman to dry land
A BBC cameraman has been airlifted from a cruise ship retracing the path of the Titanic in the Atlantic after he fell ill on board.
The MS Balmoral had to make a short detour in order to allow the patient, confirmed as 56-year-old Tim Rex, to be taken back to land.
It had sailed from Southampton on Sunday to embark on a 12-night journey to honour the 100th anniversary of the Titanic, which sank after colliding with an iceberg on its maiden voyage to New York.
Some 1,309 passengers are on board the MS Balmoral - the same number who were aboard the "unsinkable ship" in 1912.
During the journey Mr Rex became "seriously ill" and after consulting a doctor, a helicopter was called in to airlift him off the ship.
The situation shows how important it is to have medical travel insurance for any trip. However, falling ill isn't the only unforeseen circumstance holidaymakers can encounter on board a ship, and they're advised to take out cruise travel insurance before departing.
In a message on Twitter BBC presenter Jon Kay said: "We can confirm that the man taken off the Titanic cruise-ship by rescue helicopter tonight is a 56-yr-old BBC cameraman. Precautionary."
08 December 2018
Providing better conditions for disabled passengers is one of the main aims of a proposed new charter for airlines and airports.
[more...]
07 December 2018
Women who don't attend cervical screenings should be offered testing kits they can use at home, new research suggests.
06 December 2018
Ryanair could be slapped with enforcement action from the airline regulator after it refused compensation for passengers hit by flight disruption caused by staff taking strike action.
05 December 2018
Protein supplements and muscle training could be the most effective ways to delay or reverse the effects of frailty, a new study suggests.
04 December 2018
Mumford and Sons bassist Ted Dwane has helped create a new exhibition to raise awareness of the loneliness felt by people living with multiple sclerosis (MS).
01 December 2018
A leading charity has praised the actions of Lloyd Russell-Moyle, saying the Labour MP had "done everybody a service" by disclosing his HIV status.
30 November 2018
Sweating out the daily stresses in a sauna could be linked to a reduced risk of death from cardiovascular diseases (CVD) in people aged 50 and over, according to a new study.
29 November 2018
Hitting the Copacabana could soon become a more realistic aim for holidaymakers, with Norwegian set to become the first budget airline to operate UK-Brazil flights.
28 November 2018
Holidaymakers on the UK's proposed new high-speed trainline could have their Amazon packages delivered directly to their seat, according to a train manufacturer.
27 November 2018
Over half of UK frontline medical staff worry their hospitals won't be able to keep patients safe this winter, according to an "alarming" new survey.
24 November 2018
Patients who suffer from a severe form of stroke should be offered a procedure to remove the blood clot up to a day after the onset of their symptoms, draft new guidelines suggest.
23 November 2018
Rising obesity levels have led to a record number of youngsters being diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes, a leading charity has warned.