A Brisbane woman who was believed to be suffering a serious brain bleed has been flown to a Queensland Hospital from a Princess Cruises ship approx 138 km (86 mi) northeast of Hamilton Island (QLD Australia).
RACQ CQ Rescue had to fly more than 1200 km (746 mi) over ten hours to winch the 71-year-old female passenger, who was unconscious, from Sea Princess on Saturday, February 23.
The woman was taken to Townsville Hospital, reportedly in a critical condition.
The cruise ship was sailing back to Brisbane port with 1998 passengers onboard during a 14-day journey when the passenger became ill.
Due to weight restrictions, a rescue crewman, a doctor, and a critical care paramedic had to be winched down onto the ship's deck.
The patient was assessed and intubated prior to being flown to the hospital and arrived at about 6:00 p.m.
She remained in hospital on Sunday, February 24, in a serious but stable condition.
For other Sea Princess accidents and incidents see the ship's CruiseMinus page.