Cruise passenger who went overboard rescued after 20 hours at sea
The incident occurred when the Royal Caribbean ship Odyssey of the Seas was sailing southwest of the island of Zakynthos, the Greek coastguard said.
Key points
- A 44-year-old Salvadoran woman was rescued from the Ionian Sea after spending 20 hours in the water.
- She allegedly jumped from the Royal Caribbean ship Odyssey of the Seas southwest of Zakynthos, Greece.
- She was taken to a hospital in Pyrgos for health tests, including a psychiatric evaluation ordered by a local prosecutor.
A 44-year-old Salvadoran woman who allegedly jumped from a cruise ship into the Ionian Sea was rescued over the weekend after 20 hours in the water, the Greek coastguard said. The incident occurred early Friday when the Royal Caribbean Cruises ship Odyssey of the Seas was sailing southwest of the island of Zakynthos, according to the coastguard.
The woman later told rescuers she had jumped because she wanted to get off the ship, a coastguard spokesperson told AFP. The officer said she was at sea for 20 hours.
Search and rescue
After an alert early Friday, two coastguard boats and a navy helicopter were sent to the area and other nearby ships were rerouted. The Odyssey of the Seas also joined the search, the officer said.
A passing freighter found the woman fully conscious in a life ring early Saturday, and a Greek coastguard patrol boat picked her up. A coastguard video shows a crew throwing a rope to a woman floating in an orange life ring in the dark.
She was 20 hours at sea.
— coastguard officer
Hospital and ship details
She was taken to the port of Katakolo and then to a hospital in the nearby city of Pyrgos for health tests, including a psychiatric evaluation ordered by a local prosecutor, the coastguard officer said.
According to Royal Caribbean, Odyssey of the Seas is 1,138 feet long and can accommodate 4,198 guests. The ship offers seasonal cruises to the Greek Isles.
