A sick sailor had to be dropped off in Bermuda at the weekend after he was struck down with a suspected case of shingles.

The 39-year-old Filipino was on board the Liberian-registered MV Northern Dexterity travelling to South Carolina when he fell ill.

The container vessel, which had originated in Bremerhaven, Germany, contacted Bermuda Maritime Operations on Friday afternoon to arrange the medical evacuation.

The ship arrived off the East End of the Island early yesterday morning and met the pilot boat St David at Five Fathom Hole.

The sailor was transferred on board the pilot boat at 7.45am, where he was assessed by a local doctor and brought to Ordnance Island in St George’s.

He was then taken to King Edward VII Memorial Hospital by ambulance for medical treatment.

Meanwhile, the MV Northern Dexterity and her crew continued on to Charleston, on the east coast of the US, to deliver their cargo of containers.

A spokesman for Bermuda Radio said: “At approximately 4pm on Friday, Bermuda Maritime Operations Centre received a call from the Liberian-registered container vessel Northern Dexterity, more than 700 miles east-northeast of Bermuda, reporting the need to urgently bring an ill crew member ashore.

“Following medical advice from the German Medical Centre in Cuxhaven and subsequent advice from the US Coast Guard flight surgeon, it was agreed that the vessel should continue at best speed to disembark the patient in Bermuda, approximately 35 hours later.”

The crew member was released from hospital yesterday afternoon and is expected to fly home soon.