TWO people have been airlifted to hospital by rescue helicopter after they fell ill on separate vessels.

TWO people have been airlifted to hospital by rescue helicopter after they fell ill on separate vessels.

In the first rescue, a woman suffering severe abdominal pains was airlifted off the Jewel of the Sea cruise liner while it was off Harwich at just after 5.20pm yesterday.

The Wattisham rescue helicopter flew her to Ipswich Hospital for treatment.

At just after 6.15pm, while the helicopter crew was still at the hospital, they were called to airlift a sick crewman from a yacht which had two people on board off Iken, in the River Alde.

Aldeburgh and Shingle Street coastguard as well as the Aldeburgh inshore lifeboat and ambulance officers also went to assist.

The crewman was taken to Ipswich Hospital for treatment.