An 84-year-old German man was airlifted off the cruise ship Mein Schiff 3 after suffering a serious heart attack while sailing in the middle of the Atlantic.

The rescue unfolded on April 20, 2025, when the cruise ship was about 180 nautical miles (roughly 315 kilometers) northeast of São Miguel Island in the Azores. The call for help came in around 11:30 a.m., and the Portuguese Navy’s Ponta Delgada Maritime Search and Rescue Coordination Center (MRCC Delgada) sprang into action.

Coordinating with the Maritime Urgent Patient Guidance Center (CODU-MAR) and the Air Search and Rescue Center (RCC Lajes), they scrambled an EH-101 helicopter from the Portuguese Air Force (FAP) for the mission.

The helicopter reached the cruise ship, airlifetd up the patient, and flew him back to Ponta Delgada airport, landing safely at 8:09 p.m. From there, he was rushed to a hospital on São Miguel Island for urgent care.

Thanks to the swift teamwork of the Navy, Air Force, and medical teams, the passenger is now receiving the care he needs. A solid reminder that even when you’re out at sea, help can fly in when it matters most.