Cruise Ship Worker Rescued After Spending Nine Hours In Pacific Ocean
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Cruise Ship Employee Rescued In Pacific Ocean By Two Fishermen
A Royal Caribbean cruise ship employee was reportedly rescued in the Pacific Ocean on Friday (Nov. 6) after falling overboard at sea.
Two Newport Beach, California fishermen are being praised after rescuing the man who was found struggling in the water nearly 20 miles off the coast.
The men were making their way back from a marlin fishing trip when they noticed a man fighting to stay afloat near Catalina Island. Once the fishermen discovered him they immediately brought him aboard their boat, according to CBS Los Angeles.
After pulling the man from the water, the fishermen issued an emergency maritime distress call, and several Newport Beach lifeguards to respond to the scene. He was later transported to a local hospital and is expected to survive.
Lifeguard battalion chief Adam Yacenda, with the City of Newport Beach, said the employee was believed to have spent approximately nine hours in the water after falling overboard before he was spotted.
The man told the fisherman he was a pianist aboard the Royal Caribbean 14-deck cruise ship, “Ovation of the Seas.” He has yet to be identified.
The U.S. Coast Guard is now investigating the incident to determine the circumstances surrounding the man’s fall overboard, the outlet reports.
According to data from industry organizations such as the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) and maritime safety researchers, approximately 19 to 20 people go overboard from cruise ships worldwide each year.
