Footage has been released of yesterday's Westpac Rescue Helicopter mission in which a man in his 80's was winched from the deck of the cruise ship Carnival Splendor.

The Lismore based Westpac chopper (Westpac 4) was tasked by New South Wales Ambulance and asked to plan for a winch extrication off a cruise ship 100 Nautical Miles east of Ballina.

The Helicopter Critical Care Medical Team were winch inserted onto a cruise ship just after 400pm and stabilised the man in his 80’s who was suffering a medical event that needed urgent hospital treatment.

Due to the distance off shore a Challenger aircraft “Rescue 440” from Essendon in Melbourne was dispatched by the AMSA (Australian Maritime Safety Authority) provided top cover.

The man was winched off the ship into the helicopter and airlifted direct to Lismore Hospital in a stable condition for further medical treatment.