Spectacular rescue on the high seas! Woman rescued from cruise ship by helicopter

USA - A spectacular rescue operation took place on a cruise ship off the coast of Hawaii.

A rescuer abseiled down from the helicopter to rescue the sick patient from the deck of the cruise ship.
A rescuer abseiled down from the helicopter to rescue the sick patient from the deck of the cruise ship.  © Screenshot/United States Coast Guard News

In a video released by the US Coast Guard, a rescuer can be seen abseiling from a helicopter onto the deck of the ship, which is around 112 kilometers from the coast.

The rescue operation was triggered by a 29-year-old woman who showed symptoms of appendicitis.

Shortly after 6 p.m. last Tuesday, the rescue helicopter reached the cruise ship and hoisted the patient into the helicopter.

The woman was quickly taken to a hospital in Honolulu, the capital of Hawaii, where she is now on the road to recovery.

The incident occurred just a few hours after another man who had suffered a stroke was also rescued by helicopter from an oil tanker near the Californian coast.