HM Coastguard was called at around 12.45pm on Thursday (March 15) following reports of a passenger requiring urgent hospital treatment.
The situation aboard CMV’s Astoria, sailing an 11-night British Isles Discovery cruise, unfolded around 45 nautical miles from Newcastle.
A search and rescue helicopter answered the distress call and amid treacherous conditions, safely lowered a paramedic winchman onto the ship to treat the female passenger.
