Topics: News, Royal Caribbean, US News, Cruise ship
A staff member on the world's biggest cruise ship has recalled the terrifying moments that followed when a passenger 'jumped' overboard.
The man, who tragically lost his life, had been on the first night of a seven-day voyage on Royal Caribbean's new vessel, named Icon of the Seas.
Lifeboats were dispatched from Icon of the Seas following the incident, and the man was brought back on board.
Sadly, he was later pronounced dead.
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The ship stopped for around two hours while the 2,350-strong crew mounted a search and rescue mission for the passenger.
Icon of the Seas, which was heading for Roatan in Honduras, was just 300 miles away from Port Miami when the tragic incident unfolded.
A spokesperson for the US Coast released a statement, telling the New York Post: “The cruise ship deployed one of their rescue boats, located the man and brought him back aboard
“He was pronounced deceased. Beyond assisting in the search, the US Coast Guard did not have much involvement in this incident."
The man, who is yet to be identified, jumped more than 80 feet from the ship.
Meanwhile, Royal Caribbean told the New York Post: "The ship’s crew immediately launched a search and rescue effort alongside the US Coast Guard, who has taken over the search.
“Our Care Team is providing support and assistance to the guest’s family during this difficult time. For the privacy of the guest and their family, we have no additional details to share.”
Now, a cruise ship staff member has spoken out about the aftermath of the tragedy.
They told the New York Post that police took statements at the docks, while also retrieving a copy of the surveillance footage of the incident.
The member of security added that when the man 'jumped', the overboard detection system was activated almost immediately, which prompted the staff into action.
They said: "We knew what had happened literally seconds after he hit the water. The protocol is that we’re supposed to immediately make visual contact to see if we can spot him.
"It’s the captain’s call whether to stop and turn around, and he did."
As the search for the missing passenger got underway, the ship's medical team was put on high alert, as paramedics, nurses, former ER doctors, and even a surgeon were informed of the situation.
However, the source added to the Post that the man was likely not alive when he was recovered from the water.
UNILAD has previously reached out to Royal Caribbean and the US Coast Guard for further comment.
