Featured Image Credit: Gary Hershorn/Getty Images
Topics: Cruise Ship, News, Travel
Kya Buller
A rescue mission has been launched after a 20-year-old man went overboard on an 18-story cruise ship.
Reports state he ‘jumped off’ Royal Caribbean's Liberty of the Seas in front of his family.
The ship was sailing between Cuba and the Bahamas' Grand Inagua Island and the unnamed man is said to have jumped around 4:00 am on Thursday (April 4).
Onlookers state that his father and brother looked on ‘helplessly’.
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The tragic news has been corroborated by passengers, who said it appeared to be an ‘impulsive’ and ‘spur of the moment’ decision.
Another passenger aboard the Liberty of the Seas at the time of the incident, Bryan Sims, shared his story with The Post.
Sims said: “I had hung out with him and his brother in the hot tub until 3:30. It was standing room only. He sat right beside me the whole time.”
“He was pretty drunk.”
Sims then continued: “As we were walking from the hot tub back to the elevators, his dad and brother were walking towards us. His dad was fussing at him for being drunk, I guess.
“When we got to them, he said to his dad, ‘I’ll fix this right now'. And he jumped out the window in front of us all.”
It’s a devastating image. Sims says: “It was insane. It was just surreal.”
Another passenger onboard, Deborah Morrison, shared: “There was a lot of yelling, and the crew was alerted immediately.
“His family was horrified. Just beside themselves. I can’t even begin to imagine what they’re going through.”
A search and rescue mission was started immediately, as confirmed in a statement given by The Royal Caribbean crew.
It said: “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.”
Amy Phelps Fouse, a third passenger onboard, shed some light on the atmosphere that followed.
She said: “The early morning was definitely sombre as so many people came out of their cabins to stare at the sea, hoping to be able to aid in finding the person.
“Royal Caribbean has been excellent at communicating updates throughout the day.
“They have asked that people act with compassion in light of the tragic situation.”
This heartbreaking news follows the tragic event of 23-year-old Liam Jones, from Dundee, who fell overboard on the MSC Euribia cruise ship last month (16 March).
He was headed for Amsterdam, and has left behind a heartbroken fiancee who shared that the final text he sent to her was that he ‘felt seasick’.
Hampshire Constabulary later confirmed they had launched an investigation on the return of the vessel to the UK.