Royal Caribbean Passenger Rescued After Going Overboard

A 44-year-old woman was rescued after spending 20 hours in the water with a lifebuoy. The incident occurred during a Royal Caribbean cruise, as confirmed by the Hellenic Coast Guard.

The woman, a Salvadoran national, was traveling on the Odyssey of the Seas in the Ionian Sea near Zakynthos island when she went overboard on Saturday. The Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs provided this information to USA Today.

The cargo ship MSC Rossella III discovered the woman. They spotted her in dark waters, clinging to a bright orange lifebuoy. The ship then notified authorities, and a Greek Coast Guard crew arrived. They threw ropes to the woman, pulling her to safety.

A spokesperson from the Coast Guard told Agence France-Presse that the woman had jumped off the ship, stating her intention was to “disembark.” She spent 20 hours at sea. After her rescue, she was taken to the port of Katakolo and transferred to a local hospital. A prosecutor then ordered a psychiatric evaluation, as reported by the Hellenic Coast Guard.

Greek authorities deployed both a Coast Guard vessel and a military helicopter for the search.

In a past similar incident, a man jumped off Royal Caribbean’s Rhapsody of the Seas in San Juan, Puerto Rico. He was evading nearly $17,000 in gambling debt. He survived and was detained by U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers.