Italian Coast Guard airlifts passenger from Odyssey of the Seas

The Italian Coast Guard conducted a medical evacuation of a 64-year-old passenger from Royal Caribbean’s Odyssey of the Seas in the Ionian Sea. The operation took place on October 16, 2026, approximately 120 miles east of the Sicilian coast.

The rescue was performed by the Nemo 10 helicopter crew from the Catania Coast Guard Air Base under challenging weather conditions, including winds of 25 mph and waves exceeding six feet. Footage shows the AW139 aircraft approaching the moving vessel to hoist the passenger via a litter.

At the time of the incident, the cruise ship was traveling between Mykonos and Naples as part of a seven-night Mediterranean itinerary. The patient was transported to Cannizzaro Hospital in Catania for urgent medical treatment.