Coastguard helicopter not able to airlift casualty from NorthLink's Hjaltland ferry

   March 13, 2022 ,   Accidents

A UK coastguard helicopter had to airlift a casualty from NorthLink's Hjaltland ferry but high winds prevented the medevac from taking place.

Shetland Coastguard received the call at ~9:30 PM on Friday, March 11. The casualty required medical attention onboard the south-bound cruiseferry.

When the call was made Hjaltland ferry was 26 miles southeast of Sumburgh. The Lerwick coastguard team received a task to assist.

The rescue helicopter R900 was not able to winch the casualty because of high winds and returned to base. The patient remained onboard and was transferred to a hospital in Aberdeen (Scotland) following the arrival in Aberdeen.

Hjaltland ferry

The accident comes as NorthLink had warned of possible disruptions to service over the weekend.

For more Hjaltland ferry incidents and accidents see the ship's CruiseMinus page.