Cruise ship carries on top speed to Cobh after calling off coastguard

A 79-year-old man who suffered a suspected stroke on a cruise ship will be rushed to Cork University Hospital this morning for medical treatment once the boat docks in Cobh.

The passenger took ill on board the MS Marina on Thursday night when the boat was 350 miles off the Irish coast en route from Canada.

The emergency prompted the longest ever offshore rescue operation by the Irish coastguard, who dispatched a helicopter to pick up the man.

However, the ship's captain then decided it was better to keep the patient on board and carry on at top speed to Cork.

Coastguard spokesperson Declan Geoghegan said the Irish operation involved sending two helicopters 100 miles offshore to an oil rig.