The Head of the Basarnas Banda Aceh Office, Ibnu Harris Al Hussain, identified the rescued passengers as Hebert Ronald, an 86-year-old German citizen, and Yulia, a 43-year-old Russian national.
“The two individuals were traveling on the Malta-flagged cruise ship Mein Schiff 6, which was en route from Port Klang, Malaysia, to Africa,” Hussain said in a statement on Sunday.
The emergency operation was initiated following a distress call from the cruise ship on Saturday (May 10) afternoon, requesting urgent medical assistance for the two passengers.
Preliminary medical evaluations indicated that Ronald was experiencing complications related to hypertension and diabetes, while Yulia -- who is 15 weeks pregnant -- had suffered a nosebleed.
In response, the Banda Aceh Basarnas team deployed the rescue vessel KN Kresna 323, which was stationed at Ulee Lheue Port.
"The evacuation site was located 7.31 nautical miles northwest of the Ulee Lheue Port of Banda Aceh City, near Weh Island in Sabang City. KN Kresna 323 reached the cruise ship at around 6:40 p.m. local time," he pointed out.
After boarding the cruise ship, medical personnel from the Banda Aceh Port Health Office conducted health screenings to ensure the patients were not carrying communicable diseases.
Following clearance, both passengers were transferred to the rescue vessel and brought ashore. They were then transported by ambulance to Zainoel Abidin Regional Public Hospital in Banda Aceh for further treatment.
The rescue operation involved coordination with several other agencies, including the Indonesian Navy, police, and local authorities.
“All personnel returned to their respective institutions after the mission concluded successfully,” Hussain added.
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Translator: M. Haris, Tegar Nurfitra
Editor: Primayanti
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