Cruise ship pianist found alive after falling overboard and spending 9 hours in Pacific Ocean
A pianist who fell from a cruise ship has been found after spending nine hours in the Pacific Ocean roughly 20 miles off the coast of California.
The Coast Guard confirmed the shocking news, after noting that he was in a conscious and stable condition after being hospitalized.
The cruise ship worker was rescued on Friday (November 6) after being spotted by Sean Norton and Grant Garrett, two men who had been fishing that morning.
Recalling the moment they found him while speaking with CBS, Garrett said: "I'm like, 'Yeah, it's a human being. Stop the boat. Let's get all of our lines in'."
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He further noted that the pianist was in 'total shock' when they rescued him, admitting he thought he was 'going to die'.
The Royal Caribbean pianist was found treading water after falling into the ocean nine hours prior.
It's thought that the man was able to survive given the particularly strong El Niño we have seen across the Pacific Ocean this fall.
Norton added: "You have this crazy super El Niño year. This guy was in the water for probably 10 hours, but the water's 76 degrees. A different year - there's no way he makes it."
In a statement issued to the BBC, a Royal Caribbean Group spokesperson said: "We are providing support and assistance to our crew member during this difficult time.
"To respect the privacy of our employees, we have no additional details to share."
The Coast Guard further noted that the incident is now under investigation, and officials have not yet publicly explained how the pianist ended up in the water to begin with.
No conclusion has been drawn regarding whether the incident was accidental or not, but believe the man may have entered the water around 2:30 a.m.
The Ovation of the Seas cruise ship accommodates thousands of passengers and crew members, featuring a range of entertainment facilities, pools, restaurants, and bars, as well as live musical performances.
Scientists monitoring weather patterns in the Pacific say the developing El Niño climate phenomenon has become the strongest on record, with ocean temperatures reaching 3.05C above average.
The effects of El Niño are already being felt across the globe, with millions affected by worsening wildfires and extreme rainfall.
Unusually warm Pacific waters have also disrupted fishing off the coast of Peru, meanwhile parts of the US south-west have experienced severe flash floods.
UNILAD has reached out to Royal Caribbean for comment.
Topics: Cruise ship, US News, El Niño, Weather
Mia Williams
