Emergency response procedures were initiated on December 29th after a cruise vessel reported a passenger with suspected meningitis while navigating off the southern coast of Brazil, according to local sources.
The Costa Diadema, operating a voyage between Santos and Buenos Aires, requested medical support at approximately 3:30 p.m. while positioned near the Mar Grosso area of Laguna, in the state of Santa Catarina. During the operation, the vessel remained stationed roughly half a nautical mile offshore.
Acting on a request from the Laguna Port Authority, the Santa Catarina Military Fire Department was deployed to facilitate access at the harbor entrance and to escort the ship’s tender transporting the passenger ashore. The individual involved, a 56-year-old woman, was landed at the pier located at the harbor entrance, where a medical team from the Mobile Emergency Care Service was already in place.
Following an initial medical assessment at the pier, the passenger was transferred by ambulance to Laguna Hospital for further evaluation. Once the disembarkation was completed, firefighting personnel assisted the tender as it departed the harbor and escorted it until the Costa Diadema was clear of the area and able to resume its voyage.
No official updates have been issued regarding the medical condition of the passenger following her transfer ashore.
For more Costa Diadema incidents and accidents, see the ship's CruiseMinus page.