A CRUISE ship that set sail from Southampton has been forced to make a detour to rescue a stricken sailor.

More than 400 passengers on board the Saga Pearl 2 were told of the unfolding drama yesterday afternoon.

Captain Wesley Dunlop, made an announcement that the ship would be making an immediate change of course to assist with an injured sailor who was on a nearby ocean going yacht.

The Saga Pearl 2 had been heading towards the Cape Verde islands but after changing its route was able to pull alongside the stricken yacht, approximately 250 miles from the Mauritian coast.

The ship’s doctor, David Townsend along with the Saga Pearl 2’s safety officer, Konstantin Doroshenko, boarded the yacht to assist the transfer of the 30-year-old casualty to the cruise liner’s well equipped medical centre.

The injured man received treatment to a 12” deep gash to his leg, whilst plans were made to transfer him to a hospital in Porto Grande, off of the West African coast.

Passengers onboard were happy that the Cruise ship was able to come to the aid of the yachtsman. David Wimble, who was travelling on the ship said: “The Captain and crew really did perform very professionally. No one onboard was worried about the late arrival into Port Grande, if anything it has added to the sense of adventure on the voyage.”

Captain Dunlop told passengers that the Saga Pearl 2 was requested to assist the yachtsman as it had been the nearest ship in the vicinity and was very well equipped to deal with the incident.