The Department of the Marine confirmed last night that a Bulgarian national who stowed away on a cargo ship bound for Halifax in Nova Scotia via Ireland had been airlifted to a hospital at Shannon in Co Clare.
The man, believed to be in his 30s, was one of two Bulgarians who boarded the ship at Liverpool some days ago.
Both men jumped on board, seemingly from a considerable height, and injured their ankles. One suffered a broken ankle.
The vessel, the Atlantic Compass, was about 200 miles off the south-west coast when an emergency message was relayed.
The emergency services were alerted and a Department of the Marine helicopter went out to evacuate the injured man.
He was brought ashore at Shannon, but the other Bulgarian, whose injuries were less serious, remained on board the ship.
A Department spokesman said last night that the medical emergency had been dealt with for humanitarian reasons. The other Bulgarian on board the vessel had not been brought into the Irish jurisdiction because his injuries did not merit it.