French rescue services conducted an emergency medical evacuation of a worker from the RCI-Royal Caribbean's cruise ship Utopia of the Seas during her sea trials in the Atlantic Ocean.
On Saturday, May 11, emergency responders attended to a medevac request for an injured worker aboard the new cruise ship off the coast of South Brittany.
According to the Atlantic Maritime Prefecture, at 4:21 p.m., the cruise ship, situated 8 nautical miles (~15 km/9 mi) off the coast of Belle-Ile, reported an injured individual on board. The Regional Operational Surveillance and Rescue Center coordinated the response, dispatching a helicopter to airlift the patient. Subsequently, the injured worker was transferred to a hospital for medical attention.
The 17-deck Utopia OTS commenced sea trials in the Bay of Biscay on May 10th. RCI's newest OASIS PLUS-Class vessel, slated for debut in July at Port Canaveral (Orlando, Florida USA).
Currently, 900+ specialized workers in naval architecture, engineering, navigation, and design are aboard the vessel, ensuring its operational readiness. The sea trials, spanning 1000+ miles across 5 days, serve to validate the vessel's capabilities. Following completion of the trials, the ship will undergo final construction phases at the Chantiers de l’Atlantique shipyard in Saint-Nazaire.
For more Utopia OTS incidents and accidents see the ship's CruiseMinus page.