Northern Ireland

Belfast Coastguard yesterday received calls for medical assistance from two passenger vessels operating between Belfast and Liverpool.

A pregnant women became ill on the Mersey Viking at around 12 o'clock yesterday when the vessel was approximately 5 miles off the coast of Northern Ireland. A radio medical link was established between the vessel and Royal Aberdeen Infirmary. Doctors there recommended that the patient should transferred to hospital as soon as possible. The Irish Coastguard Rescue Helicopter R117 based in Dublin was scrambled to the scene by Belfast Coastguard and the patient was transferred by air to Daisy Hill hospital Newry Co Down for further treatment.

Later the same day at 1130 PM, a VHF call was received from the Mersey Viking's sister ship the Lagan Viking, near the mouth of Belfast Lough and also bound for Liverpool. The crew reported a passenger had taken ill and required medical assistance. A medical link call was again established between the vessel and hospital doctors and as a result of this Belfast Coastguard tasked the RNLI Donaghadee lifeboat to the scene with a doctor on board. The patient was examined on the vessel and allowed to continue his journey to Liverpool, with further medical assistance to be offered on arrival.

Lawrence Cumming Watch Officer at Belfast Coastguard said

"Belfast is the busiest port in Ireland with an increasing number of passengers being transported to and from mainland GB. These incidents should demonstrate to passengers travelling on board vessels in the North Irish Sea that H M Coastguard assistance is always available to them when they need it, even if this involves co-ordination of resources based in different jurisdictions".

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