A passenger aboard Celebrity Apex was airlifted off the vessel after falling seriously ill while the cruise ship was sailing to Port Canaveral.

The medical emergency happened about 24 nautical miles north of Arecibo, Puerto Rico. According to officials, the 65-year-old man was dealing with several medical issues that required treatment at a hospital on land. At the time, Celebrity Apex was traveling from St. Kitts to Florida.

The ship contacted the U.S. Coast Guard on Thursday to request an emergency evacuation. In response, a Coast Guard MH-60T Jayhawk helicopter launched from Air Station Borinquen and headed out to meet the vessel at sea.

Once the helicopter arrived, a rescue swimmer was lowered onto the cruise ship to evaluate the passenger and coordinate with the ship’s medical team. The patient was then secured in a rescue litter and hoisted up into the helicopter. His wife was also brought aboard using a rescue basket so she could travel with him.

Both were flown to Fernando Luis Ribas Dominicci Airport in San Juan, where emergency medical crews were waiting. From there, they were taken by ambulance to Centro Médico Hospital for further care.

Photo: U.S. Coast Guard Sector San Juan