Indian Coast Guard evacuates Mexican national facing medical emergency off Goa coast

An ICG spokespeson said that a medical evacuation at sea was successfully executed by the ICG Ship C-158, ensuring the safety and well-being of Mexican national Fernando Cruz Mendez (53) on Monday.

Panaji: The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) safely evacuated a Mexican national who suffered a heart attack onboard a passenger vessel off the Goa coast, a senior official said on Tuesday.

A medical evacuation at sea was successfully executed by the ICG Ship C-158, ensuring the safety and well-being of Mexican national Fernando Cruz Mendez (53) on Monday, the ICG spokesperson said.

The coast guard received a message from Celebrity Millennium, a passenger vessel, about a medical emergency around 7.25 pm on Monday, around 40 km from the coast, he said.

A passenger had suffered a heart attack onboard the vessel, which was proceeding towards Mumbai, the official said.

The Coast Guard Headquarters in Goa immediately diverted ICGS C-158, which was on area patrol, he said.

"The ICGS C-158 reached the vessel at 9.30 pm. It cast off from MV Celebrity Millennium along with the patient, his wife and a medical attendant, and entered Mormugao harbour at 11.30 pm. The patient was handed over to an ambulance at Mormugao Port for further medical management," the official said.