A passenger on Royal Caribbean’s Wonder of the Seas, the world’s largest cruise ship, fell overboard and fell into the water on Tuesday evening. A search operation was carried out.
Wonder of the Seas is 1,188 feet long, has 18 access decks and weighs more than 230,000 tons. It can accommodate more than 7,000 passengers and 2,300 employees, making it the largest cruise ship in the world.
AFP
The cruise began at the port of Canaveral, Florida. When the passenger fell from the boat on Tuesday, it was the second of seven days of travel. The boat was sailing off the coast of Cuba.
“The boat crew immediately initiated a search and rescue operation. We are cooperating with local authorities,” Royal Caribbean said, according to the New York Post.
The Cuban authorities are responsible for the case since the incident occurred in their territorial waters.
AFP
The search for the victim lasted more than three hours, using searchlights, small boats and observers. The ship then turned around to retrace its route.
Unfortunately, this would not be the first cruise ship accident.
According to a 2020 study by the Cruise Lines International Association, 19 people fall from a cruise ship every year and only four of them are rescued.
AFP