A CRUISE ship retracing the route of RMS Titanic’s ill-fated maiden voyage was forced to turn back yesterday after one of its passengers fell ill.
The MS Balmoral had been around 120 miles west of Ireland when a man on board suffered heart problems.
An emergency call was received by the Irish Coastguard at around 3.20pm yesterday.
BBC cameraman Tim Rex, 56, was airlifted off the MS Balmoral by rescue helicopter as a medical precaution.
The ship was forced to turn back and travel towards shore to a point where it could be reached by the Irish Coastguard’s helicopter.
Last night a spokesman for the MS Balmoral said the ship would be turning around and heading approximately 20 nautical miles east to bring it nearer to the coast and within reach of a helicopter.
“Once the guest is off the ship for medical treatment the cruise will resume as scheduled,” the statement said.
This is the second setback for the cruise liner which was delayed on Monday on its journey from Cherbourg to Cobh due to stormy weather.
The MS Balmoral left Southampton on Sunday following Titanic’s original route to Cherbourg in France and Cobh on the south coast of Ireland before setting out across the Atlantic.
It is scheduled to arrive at the site where Titanic sank on April 14 in time for the exact anniversary of the sinking in the early hours of April 15.
A memorial service will be held at the moment Titanic hit the iceberg.
The cruise will then go to Nova Scotia and on to New York, the final destination which the original voyage never reached.
The Balmoral is carrying 1,309 passengers – the same number as were on the Titanic – including relatives of those who died, authors and historians.
The cruise – which is scheduled to last 12 nights, travelling between Southampton and New York – has attempted to recreate Titanic’s original voyage.
Many passengers and crew are dressed in period costumes, while guests have been able to eat meals from Titanic’s original menu and attend lectures by historians and experts.