Did Cruise Rescue Gone Horribly Wrong Kill an Old Lady?

Janet Richardson falls into ocean My mom, who's about to head off on a European cruise, has been OBSESSED lately with not getting sick aboard her cruise ship. Yesterday, I pinned her down about her latest seemingly irrational fear and then she shared this story about a rescue off a cruise ship gone terribly wrong.

When you hear about this grandma who fell sick aboard a cruise ship and later died after a botched medical intervention rescue, you'll be praying you never get sick aboard a cruise ship either.

In a nutshell, a 73-year-old British woman and grandmother, Janet Richardson, fell ill with internal bleeding while aboard a cruise along the coast of Norway. The medics went to transfer her on a stretcher to another ship in order to get her to a hospital -- apparently they dangle sick people between giant ships all the time -- and they accidentally dropped her into the freezing Arctic water below.

She was ill and old and treading water, the dear woman. They fished the poor woman out -- although not for at least EIGHT minutes in that icy water!!! -- but she ended up dying later in a hospital, leaving her husband behind without her. What a tragic story!

Say no more, mom, please do NOT get sick on your cruise ship. Please!

WATCH the news coverage after the heartbreaking mishap: