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August 31, 2023 | 10:30am
Royal Caribbean’s Wonder of the Seas, the world’s largest cruise ship, was on a voyage from Florida when a passenger fell overboard off the coast of Cuba.
Royal Caribbean said the unidentified passengers disembarked from the 230,000-ton ship late Tuesday on the second day of a seven-day voyage from Port Canaveral, Florida.
“The ship’s crew immediately began search and rescue operations and are working closely with local authorities,” the company said.
The company told Insider it was working with the U.S. Coast Guard, but a spokesperson for the agency said the effort was left to Cuban authorities because the incident occurred in Cuban territorial waters.
Passengers on the giant ship said their original itinerary had already been changed due to Hurricane Idalia, the paper said.
They called “Oscar! Oscar! Oscar!” Overboard emergency call, around 9 p.m. EDT, industry blogCruise Hive reported.
After the ship turned around and returned to its course, the crew searched the area for about three hours using spotlights, small boats and observers, the website said.
Wonder of the Seas is 1,188 feet long with 18 decks and can accommodate approximately 7,000 passengers and 2,300 crew members. Royal Caribbean’s Icon of the Seas will break Wonder’s record when it begins sailing next year, Insider reports.
Earlier this month, an Indian woman died after jumping from another Royal Caribbean cruise ship, the Spectrum of the Seas.
Reeta Sahani, 64, was declared missing after her husband Jakesh Sahani, 70, woke up in the middle of the night and realized he was not in the hut. Her family later confirmed that she had died.
In June, a 42-year-old woman was rescued after falling from Royal Caribbean’s Mariner of the Seas, about 40 miles south of Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic, while traveling from Florida.
Other recent incidents occurred on the cruise ships Carnival Magic, Carnival Elation, and Emerald Princess.
An average of 19 people fall overboard on cruise ships each year, and only about four of them are rescued, Insider reported, citing a 2020 study commissioned by the Cruise Lines International Association, an industry group.
The low success rate has sparked debate over whether all cruise ships should be equipped with detection devices that automatically alert crew members when someone goes overboard.
“All cruise lines maintain a safe environment onboard their cruise ships, including physical barriers around exterior decks and balconies, video surveillance systems in public areas, and trained crew members who can quickly respond to hazardous situations.” We are taking a number of measures, such as staff, personnel, emergency situations, etc.,” a spokesperson for the Cruise Lines International Association told Insider.
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