appendicitis during a NATO exercise 200 miles west of the Island.

An American Sea Hawk helicopter from the USS John L. Hall picked up the sailor from the Dutch warship Van Speijk and landed at Bermuda International Airport at 7.20 p.m.

The sailor, who has not been named, was taken to the King Edward VII Memorial Hospital by ambulance.

The incident began at 5 p.m. and the helicopter left the Island by 10 p.m., said a Harbour Radio spokesman.