At noon on Friday, bulk-carrier Helene Selmer reported it had an injured crew member onboard who needed urgent medical attention at a hospital facility.

The 38-year old ship’s second-engineer, Sergei Bordiski, was suffering from an open fracture in his left leg.

The bulk-carrier was some 154 nautical miles to the east of Malta.

The Italian Military Mission’s AB212 SAR-helicopter of the Italian Air Force was scrambled with its Italo-Maltese flight-crew, which included the AFM’s senior medical officer, Surg. Lt Col Robert Galea.

The mercy-flight returned to St Luke’s Hospital around an hour later and Mr Bordiski was taken to the Emergency Department for further treatment.