Basarnas evacuates Filipino cruise ship crew member due to illness

Banda Aceh (ANTARA) - The Basarnas team evacuated a female crew member from a Filipino cruise ship due to illness while sailing in the waters of the Strait of Bengal, Aceh Besar Regency.

The Head of Basarnas Banda Aceh, Ibnu Harris Al Hussain, in Banda Aceh, Sunday, said the victim was named Arante Faenielle Emerald, 38 years old. The victim is a crew member of the Mein Schiff 6 cruise ship which flies the Maltese flag.

“The victim was evacuated because she was ill and needed further medical treatment. The victim was evacuated from the ship and taken to a hospital in Banda Aceh. The evacuation took place on Saturday (16/5) night,” he said.

He said the evacuation took place in the waters of the Strait of Bengal, near Weh Island, Sabang City, Aceh Province. The evacuation used the SAR ship KN Kresna 232 which departed from Ulee Lheue Port, Banda Aceh City.

Previously, he said, the captain of the Mein Schiff 6 cruise ship contacted the Basarnas command center requesting evacuation assistance. The captain requested assistance in evacuating a sick crew member.

“From this information, we coordinated with the cruise ship to determine the coordinates of the victim’s evacuation point. Then the evacuation team moved to the pick-up location which was about 5.8 nautical miles from Ulee Lheue Port,” he said.

Upon arriving at the pick-up point, KN Kresna 232 docked with Mein Schiff 6. The team from the Class I Health Quarantine Office of Banda Aceh boarded the cruise ship to examine the victim to ensure that she did not have any contagious diseases.

After it was confirmed that the victim did not carry any contagious diseases, the woman was transferred to KN Kresna 232. Then, the SAR ship returned to Ulee Lheue Port. At Ulee Lheue Port, the victim was taken off and transported by ambulance to the Zainoel Abidin General Hospital (RSUDZA).

Ibnu Harris Al Hussain said that the evacuation process also involved customs officers, immigration officials, the Indonesian Navy (TNI AL), the harbor master, the Ulee Lheue Coastal Radio Station (SROP), shipping agents, and other related parties.