Portugal’s coastal areas have been on a yellow warning as the weather out to sea deteriorated, bringing mountainous seas.
An Air Force helicopter was scrambled on Wednesday, to rescue a critically ill man from a cruise ship 257 kilometres from shore as eight metre waves battered the ship and 40 knot winds hampered progress.
The Aida Blu cruise ship's captain had called for emergency help as one of its passengers had become increasingly ill.
According to the Air Force, one of its EH-101 Merlin helicopters took off at 17:55 and took an hour to get to the ship.
Ready and waiting on board the Air Force helicopter was an INEM medical team which was able to provide immediate aid to the passenger as he was being transported to hospital.
Most coastal areas were lashed by high waves yesteday. The districts of Viana do Castelo, Braga, Oporto, Aveiro, Coimbra, Leiria, Lisbon, Setúbal, Beja and Faro all are under the yellow warning from 6pm this evening until tomorrow evening due to heavy seas.
