Sailor evacuated by helicopter to Larnaca hospital has died (Updated)

A 61-year-old crewmember of a fishing boat airlifted to Larnaca hospital overnight after a heart attack has died, reports said Tuesday.

The man, an Italian national, had to be airlifted by helicopter just after midnight following a heart attack while the vessel was eight nautical miles east of Apostolos Andreas.

The captain of the vessel had notified the search and rescue centre in Rome, which in turn notified Larnaca of the incident.

A police helicopter collected the man and flew him to Larnaca hospital 20 minutes after midnight.

Despite doctors efforts to resuscitate, the 61-year-old died in hospital.