A passenger has fallen overboard Royal Caribbean’s Wonder of the Seas, the world’s largest cruise ship, while off the coast of Cuba on a voyage from Florida.
The unidentified guest disembarked from the 230,000-ton ship Tuesday night, the second day of its seven-day sailing from Port Canaveral, Florida, Royal Caribbean said.
“The ship’s crew immediately launched a search and rescue operation and is working closely with local authorities,” the company said.
The company told Insider that it had been working with the US Coast Guard, but a spokesperson for the agency told the outlet that Cuban authorities are in charge of the effort because the incident occurred in their territorial waters.
Passengers on the giant ship said it had already deviated from its original itinerary due to Hurricane Idalia, according to the outlet.
They reported an “Oscar! Oscar! Oscar!” EDT, industry blog Cruise Hive reported.
A passenger fell overboard on Royal Caribbean’s Wonder of the Seas, the world’s largest cruise ship, while off Cuba during a voyage from Florida.SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images
The crew spent about three hours searching the waters using searchlights, small boats and spotters after the ship turned around and retraced its route, according to the site.
The Wonder of the Seas, which is 1,188 feet long and has 18 decks, can accommodate nearly 7,000 passengers and 2,300 crew members. Royal Caribbean’s Icon of the Seas will break the Wonder’s record when she begins service next year, Insider reported.
Earlier this month, an Indian woman died after she apparently jumped from Spectrum of the Seas, another Royal Caribbean cruise ship.
Reeta Sahani, 64, was reported missing after her husband, Jakesh Sahani, 70, woke up in the middle of the night and noticed she was not in their cabin. Her family later confirmed that she had died.
In June, a 42-year-old woman was rescued after she fell from Royal Caribbean’s Mariner of the Seas about 25 miles south of Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic during a voyage from Florida.
Passengers said the ship had already diverted from its original itinerary due to Hurricane Idalia.AFP via Getty Images
Other recent incidents occurred on the Carnival Magic, Carnival Elation and Emerald Princess cruise ships.
On average, 19 people fall overboard on cruise ships each year, and of those, only about four are rescued, Insider reported, citing a 2020 study commissioned by industry trade group Cruise Lines International Association.
The low success rate has sparked debates about whether all cruise ships should be equipped with detection devices that automatically alert the crew when someone falls overboard.
“All cruise lines use a variety of measures to maintain a safe environment on board cruise ships, including physical barriers around the periphery of external decks and balconies, video surveillance systems in public areas, and trained crew members who can respond quickly to an unsafe situation. or emergency,” a spokesperson for the Cruise Lines International Association told Insider.
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Source: vtt.edu.vn