Series of emergency calls to cruise ship

By Roddy Ashworth

THREE patients were taken to hospital after a series of calls to a cruise ship that had just docked in Harwich.

And shortly after those, the ambulance service received yet another call to the harbour area after a workman suffered a fall.

However, unlike a few weeks ago, none of the patients taken to hospital from the cruise ship were suffering from the winter vomiting bug.

An Essex Ambulance Service spokesman said: “The first call came into the Emergency Operations Centre at about 9.20am this morning reporting a man with chest pains

“When crews arrived they were told that the Discovery had just arrived into Harwich after a 12-day cruise.

“An 83-year-old man from Strathclyde in Scotland was airlifted to Colchester General Hospital after suffering a suspected angina attack.”

While the crews were dealing with that patient they were made aware of a second one, the spokesman said.

“A 72-year-old man from Camberley in Surrey was taken by the land crew to the same hospital with an infection in his lower left leg,” he said.

“The land crew's very next incident took them back to the Parkeston Quay for a third passenger from the Discovery.

“They were called at 11.30am to reports of a 59-year-old woman from Bradwell near Great Yarmouth having fallen whilst on board the ship.

“After being assessed at the scene she was taken to Colchester General with an injury to her left knee.”

Approximately 35 minutes later a call was made to a man who had fallen while working on a buoy on Angel Gate Jetty, Harwich.

Aircrew paramedic, Richard Mackie, said: “The 35-year-old Harwich man was about six to eight feet off the ground when he fell.

“When we arrived, he had been made comfortable by colleagues but appears to have suffered some sort of rib injury.

“We worked with the land crew stabilising his injuries before we flew him to Colchester General Hospital for further assessment and treatment.”