• News
  • Film and TV
  • Music
  • Tech
  • Features
  • Celebrity
  • Politics
  • Weird
  • Community
  • Advertise
  • Terms
  • Privacy & Cookies
  • LADbible Group
  • LADbible
  • SPORTbible
  • GAMINGbible
  • Tyla
  • UNILAD Tech
  • FOODbible
  • License Our Content
  • About Us & Contact
  • Jobs
  • Latest
  • Topics A-Z
  • Authors
Facebook
Instagram
X
Threads
TikTok
YouTube
Submit Your Content
Tourist recalls sickening moment he learnt fellow cruise ship passenger had fallen overboard

Home> News> US News

Published 11:54 26 Dec 2023 GMT

Tourist recalls sickening moment he learnt fellow cruise ship passenger had fallen overboard

The 41-year-old passenger fell overboard the Vision Of The Sea ship triggering a six hour search

Chelsea Connor

Chelsea Connor

A passenger onboard the Royal Caribbean said he felt 'sick to his stomach' after hearing that someone had fallen from the ship.

On December 23, a call to North Carolina Command Centre was made at 7.17pm, alerting them that a passenger had fallen overboard the Royal Caribbean Visions of the Sea cruise ship.

The 41-year-old passenger - who has not been publicly named yet - had fallen into the Atlantic Ocean over 100 miles away from the Charleston Coast.

Advert

The ship was said to be heading for the Bahamas at the time.

The Coast Guard dispatched a rescue crew after 11 p.m. in a C-130 airplane from Elizabeth City, N.C. to search for the passenger, while another C-130 flying in from Clearwater also helped relieve the crew and continue the search.

Petty officer Vincent Moreno told The Post and Courier on December 24: "We’re just continuing to search. The Coast Guard never stops.

Advert

"The holidays don’t affect our hours."

A spokesperson for Royal Caribbean Group also confirmed to the outlet that a guest on its Vision of the Seas cruise ship had went overboard December 23.

The passenger was on a Royal Caribbean cruise ship when they fell overboard.
Getty Images/ Jeffrey Greenberg/ Universal Images

“The ship and crew immediately reported the incident to local authorities and launched a search and rescue mission,” the spokesperson said.

Advert

“Out of privacy for the guest and their family, we have no additional details to share.”

UNILAD has previously reached out to Royal Caribbean Cruises for further comment.

According to the company's website, the Vision Of The Sea ship is 915-foot long by 105-foot wide ship with a total capacity of 2,000 guests and 700 crew members.

And a 21-year-old passenger who was also on the 'Eight Night Bahamas & Perfect Day Holiday Cruise' said that he remembered the moment the captain announced over the speakers that someone had fallen overboard.

Advert

The search has since been called off for the passenger.
Getty Images/ Jeffrey Greenberg/ Universal Images Group

Jake Utzinger said to The Post and Courier: “I instantly felt sick to my stomach knowing that one of our fellow travellers had been lost at sea.

“Me and my girlfriend tried to be useful and become an extra pair of eyes during the search.”

"It’s definitely going to be rough continuing this voyage knowing that a family is missing their loved one." he added.

Advert

According to Utzinger, the ship then resumed it's journey at around 2am.

While another passenger, Colin Schappi, told WCBD that he knew something was wrong when crew members started shouting at around 7:15pm, adding that they were shouting: "Oscar! Oscar! Oscar! Starboard!."

However, the search mission has since been suspended, according to Count On News 2.

The Coast Guard is reported as having searched for eight hours, covering over 1,625 square miles.

Advert

The ship's next port of call is Port Canaveral before it is set to return to Baltimore on December 30.

Featured Image Credit: Colin Schappi/ Christopher Biggs / Contributor/Getty

Topics: News

Chelsea Connor
Chelsea Connor

Chelsea is a Journalist for UNILAD. Before this she worked as a Journalist and Comedy Writer for seven years, working for companies such as Newsquest, NationalWorld and Samahoma Productions. She became a qualified journalist back in 2017, completing a NCTJ at Liverpool City College.

X

@theccjourno

Advert

Advert

Advert

  • Widow recalls heartbreaking moment she learnt husband had been killed in 'horror' electrocution accident
  • Man who’s lived on cruise ship for more than 20 years recalls ‘unforgettable’ moment he boarded ‘cruise to nowhere’
  • Woman who sold everything to live on cruise ship explains why it ‘costs less money’ than living on land
  • Cruise ship passenger issues warning after making major mistake before trip of a lifetime

Choose your content:

8 hours ago
  • 8 hours ago

    Chipotle customer finds receipt from 10 years ago and the comparison is making people want to cry

    Chipotle customers are understandably upset

    News
  • 8 hours ago

    100-year-old identical twins reveal secret to long life after celebrating milestone

    Bernice Frank and Gloria Lipman shared their wisdom for reaching 100-years-old

    News
  • 8 hours ago

    Forensic psychiatrist gives chilling theory behind Bryan Kohberger’s motive after he confessed to Idaho murders

    Bryan Kohberger pleaded guilty to murder earlier this week

    News
  • 8 hours ago

    Body found in search for man who vanished on vacation as police release chilling details

    Brian Tarrence was with his wife in Turks and Caicos before being reported missing days later

    News