A crew member of a Mar del Plata fishing boat that was sailing off the southeast coast of Buenos Aires was urgently evacuated by helicopter by the Argentine Naval Prefecture (PNA), due to a case of appendicitis for which he had to undergo surgery, official sources reported today. The 43-year-old man presented abdominal pain aboard the "Salvador R" when the ship was operating on Wednesday 500 kilometers off the coast of the city of Mar del Plata. PNA reported that the crew member, a native of the mountain town of Balcarce, was performing duties as an engine assistant on board, when he began to feel severe pain in the right side of his abdomen. The captain of the vessel reported the situation and conducted a radio consultation with medical personnel from the maritime security force, who indicated immediate air evacuation.