Ill passenger airlifted off ship retracing Titanic voyage

The ship retracing the doomed Titanic’s voyage across the Atlantic was almost struck by tragedy last night after a BBC cameraman developed heart problems and was airlifted to hospital.

The MS Balmoral, which is carrying relatives of Titanic victims among its 1,309 passengers, declared a medical emergency yesterday afternoon, just hours after it departed Cobh, Co Cork.

It was forced to head back towards the Irish coast and sail about 30km east to rendezvous with a coastguard helicopter.

In an operation co-ordinated by Valentia Coast Guard, the Shannon-based Rescue 115 helicopter landed on board the vessel as it was nearly 200km off the south-west coast just before 7pm.

Its crew flew the cameraman to Tralee General Hospital for medical treatment before the ship resumed its voyage to the Titanic wreck site.

The cameraman, Tim Rex, 56, was conscious and stable, and is expected to make a full recovery. The BBC said he had been taken off the ship as a precaution.

A spokesperson for the Titanic memorial cruise said the cruise company, Fred Olsen, and Titanic Memorial Cruises worked with the coastguard to co-ordinate the relevant arrangements.