Cruise Ship Crew Member Rescued Off California After Nine Hours at Sea
A Royal Caribbean crew member was pulled from the Pacific about 15 to 20 miles off Southern California after two fishermen spotted him. He was taken to hospital and is expected to live.
A crew member from a Royal Caribbean cruise ship was rescued from the Pacific Ocean about 15 to 20 miles off the Southern California coast on Friday, after two fishermen spotted him treading water near Catalina Island. The man, believed to have gone overboard from the Ovation of the Seas, was taken to hospital and is expected to live, authorities said.
How the rescue unfolded
Fishermen Grant Garrett and Sean Norton were returning from a trip near Catalina Island when they saw the man floating on his back. Garrett said the man was keeping his head above water by moving his hands and feet slightly. The pair pulled him onto their boat and contacted the U.S. Coast Guard.
Lifeguards from the Newport Beach Fire and Lifeguard Department were sent to the boat to treat him. Norton told ABC station KABC that the man could not stop shaking and could not talk, and that he appeared close to death.
The Coast Guard said it received a report from a "good Samaritan" who recovered a conscious individual from the water, and that the man was handed over to Newport Beach lifeguards. Lifeguards confirmed he worked aboard the Ovation of the Seas.
Time in the water and the role of warm seas
Lifeguard officials believe the man may have gone overboard around 2:30 a.m., meaning he could have been in the water for about nine hours before he was found. The exact circumstances of how he ended up in the water have not been established, and officials said they were investigating.
Battalion Chief Mike Ure of the Newport Beach Fire and Lifeguard Department said the man was fortunate to be alive. Ure estimated the water temperature at roughly 72 to 74 degrees Fahrenheit, which he said was favorable for survival in the short term. He linked the conditions to the current El Niño, a recurring pattern that warms Pacific Ocean waters.
Norton also credited the warm water for the man's survival. Reports said the El Niño event is among the strongest on record, with Pacific ocean temperatures running well above average, according to scientists monitoring the region.
Ship and company response
The Ovation of the Seas is a 14-deck ship that entered service in 2016 and can carry more than 4,000 passengers. The ship had departed from San Pedro, California, and was headed to Ensenada, Mexico, according to reports.
Royal Caribbean said in a statement that it was providing support and assistance to the crew member. The company said it would not share further details out of respect for the employee's privacy. Fishermen told CBS that the man had identified himself as a pianist on the ship, a detail the company has not confirmed.
What we know so far
The crew member's name has not been released. The U.S. Coast Guard says it is investigating the incident, and the cause of his time in the water has not been officially confirmed. Authorities report he is in stable condition and expected to recover.
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