The Norwegian Breakaway rolled into Dockyard a couple of hours behind schedule this morning after a sick passenger had to be airlifted off the vessel.

A 30-year-old woman was winched off the liner by a Coastguard helicopter in the early hours of Tuesday morning after complaining of abdominal pains and rushed to hospital in the US.

The rescue operation was captured on the helicopter’s on-board camera network.

A statement released by the US Coast Guard said: “The Coast Guard medevaced a 30-year-old woman on Tuesday from a cruise ship approximately 165 miles east of Virginia Beach.

“Coast Guard 5th District watch standers received a request at 4.45am to medevac a woman suffering abdominal pain aboard the Norwegian Breakaway.

“A Coast Guard MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew and an HC-130 aircraft crew launched from Air Station Elizabeth City at 7am.

“The helicopter crew arrived on scene at 9am and hoisted the woman and a ship’s nurse.

“The helicopter crew arrived at Sentara Norfolk General Hospital in Ghent at 10.36am.”

The woman was reported to be in stable condition.

The Breakaway was scheduled to arrive in Dockyard at 8am, but was delayed by just over two hours as a result of the rescue operation.