The cruise ship Westerdam docked at Tiên Sa Port, Đà Nẵng City. — Photo baoxaydung.vn

HÀ NỘI — A German passenger was rushed to the hospital early Thursday after suffering a critical injury aboard a cruise ship travelling from the northeastern port city of Quảng Ninh to central city Đà Nẵng, according to Việt Nam’s maritime rescue authorities.

The incident occurred at 2.18am, when the Westerdam, a Netherlands-flagged vessel carrying 1,900 passengers, was around 32 nautical miles northeast of Sơn Trà Cape.

The passenger, a 69-year-old man, fell down a staircase and was suspected to suffer from a spleen injury and internal bleeding. The ship’s doctor administered initial first aid but reported the patient to be in a life-threatening condition.

Facing rough weather with northeasterly winds at force level 6 on the Beaufort scale (39-49km/h) and waves reaching up to four metres, the captain issued an emergency request for assistance.

The Việt Nam Maritime Search and Rescue Coordination Centre said it assessed the patient’s condition as deteriorating and instructed the Westerdam to proceed at full speed to Đà Nẵng.

A pilot boat met the cruise ship at buoy zero at 3.27am, and the vessel docked at Tiên Sa Port an hour later. Rescue personnel, working with the ship’s agent and local authorities, transferred the patient to an ambulance for emergency treatment.

The centre serves as Việt Nam’s international focal point for search and rescue coordination involving foreign-flagged ships operating in the country’s waters. — VNS