The Brazilian Coast Guard conducted a medical evacuation of a crew member from the Silversea cruise ship Silver Nova following severe injuries sustained during elevator maintenance duties on Tuesday, February 24. In response to the medical emergency, the ship altered course (satellite AIS tracking) to approach a port (Belem) where the injured could receive appropriate medical attention.
Seeking assistance, the ship's captain enlisted the aid of the Brazilian Coast Guard to airlift the crew to a land hospital.
Using the ship's loudspeaker system, the captain informed all passengers and crew members about the unfolding medical situation. The injured individual, believed to be either a deckhand or an engineer, had sustained serious injuries while servicing an elevator within the ship's shaft. In a bid to assist the injured crew member, the ship requested volunteers among the crew with O-type blood to donate at the onboard medical center.
~90 minutes following the incident, an appeal for blood donations was made, after which the vessel proceeded toward the nearest port. Subsequently, confirmation was received that a helicopter dispatched by the Brazilian Coast Guard would arrive to facilitate the evacuation of the critically injured crew member, whose condition remained stable albeit serious.
Announcements over the ship's public address system informed passengers and crew that the helicopter evacuation was scheduled for 5:00 p.m. Crew members cleared Deck 11 forward starboard side in preparation for the evacuation. The injured crew member was transferred from the medical center on Deck 2 to the pool deck on Deck 10, where they awaited evacuation. Upon arrival, the Coast Guard personnel descended from the helicopter, retrieved the patient, and conducted the airlift operation.
Specific details regarding the nationality or age of the injured crew member were not provided. The incident occurred 4 days prior while the ship was operating a 30-day itinerary from Rio de Janeiro back to Fort Lauderdale Florida USA.
Latest reports indicate that the injured individual underwent a 5-hour surgical procedure and is currently in critical but stable condition, receiving intensive care in the ICU.
For more Silver Nova incidents and accidents see the ship's CruiseMinus page.