Inside the frantic rescue mission to save woman who went overboard
A woman has been saved from waters near the Dominican Republic after going overboard from a Royal Caribbean cruise ship.
The 42-year-old American citizen was rescued by the US Coast Guard, after she fell from the 10th deck of the ship.
The Mariner of the Seas cruise ship was about 50 km south of Punta Cana on its way to Willemstad, Curaçao, when the passenger went overboard, a statement from the Coast Guard said.
“The passenger was recovered alive and reported to be in good health, after reportedly falling into the water from the 10th deck of the ship,” it said. “No medical evacuation of the passenger was requested by the cruise ship.”
“The passenger was being kept on the cruise ship’s medical facility and later transferred to the Hospital in Willemstad, Curacao for evaluation.”
The Coast Guard said it was investigating the incident, looking into how and why the woman went overboard.
Matthew Kuhn, who was on the cruise ship with his family, told a Florida news station that he watched rescue efforts from his balcony.
“I think it was amazing to see everyone was on their balcony. Everyone was trying to help, and the crew was very receptive to everyone,” he said.
In a statement released on Wednesday, Royal Caribbean confirmed a passenger went overboard but was rescued as was being cared for onboard.
“The ship and crew immediately reported the incident to local authorities and began searching for the guest. Thankfully, the guest was successfully recovered and was brought on board. Our Care team is now offering assistance and support to them and their travelling party. Out of privacy for the guest and their family, we have no additional details to share,” the statement said.
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