A SWINDON man who had to be airlifted from a cruise liner taking the route of the doomed Titanic has spoken from his hospital bed.

Tim Rex, a BBC cameraman, was taken ill on Tuesday night, causing the dedicated memorial cruise to double back so he could be airlifted to hospital.

The 56-year-old, who was born in Swindon, has been in contact with his BBC Wiltshire colleagues from his hospital bed in County Kerry, in the Irish Republic, where he was taken after the ship had turned back 20 nautical miles to be within reach of a helicopter.

A spokesman for the BBC said: “We’ve spoken to Tim and he is said to be okay. It was more of a precautionary measure.

“He remains in hospital and is undergoing tests.”

The MS Balmoral cruise liner set sail from England’s south coast on Sunday, and was 16 hours away from port at Cobh, in Ireland, before the incident.

Mr Rex was treated aboard the ship but the decision was taken to get him to a hospital.

The cruise – scheduled for 12 nights between Southampton and New York – had attempted to recreate the Titanic’s original voyage and is said to still be on schedule for a planned memorial this Sunday at the spot in the North Atlantic where the ill-fated Titanic went down 100 years ago.

A spokesman for the cruise organiser said: “At Fred Olsen and Titanic Memorial Cruises the safety and well-being of all guests and crew is paramount, and this decision has been made in conjunction with Titanic Memorial Cruises, as charterer of Balmoral for this voyage.

“The ship, Fred Olsen’s Balmoral, has turned around and resumed its scheduled itinerary.

“Fred Olsen and Titanic Memorial Cruises send their best wishes to the guest for a comfortable and speedy recovery.”

The Balmoral had been carrying 1,309 passengers – the same number of paying guests as were on the Titanic – including relatives of those who died, authors and historians.

Many passengers and crew are dressed in period costumes, while guests have been able to eat meals from the Titanic’s original menu and attend lectures by historians and experts.

More than 1,500 passengers and crew died when the Titanic hit an iceberg on the night of April 14, 1912, and sank several hours later.