The body of a 36-year-old woman has been recovered from the water off the coast of Port Canaveral, Florida, after the victim had reportedly fallen overboard from a cruise ship. It’s the second such incident to happen this week.
The woman, who hasn’t yet been identified, was retrieved from the water about 18 miles offshore on Thursday morning, according to the Miami-based U.S. Coast Guard’s (USCG) 7th District.
Authorities say she had been onboard the cruise ship MSC Meraviglia. According to reports, the woman had fallen overboard about 20 miles off the coast of Port Canaveral—one of the busiest cruise ports in the world—on Thursday.
The woman’s death is now under investigation, USCG Southeast wrote on Twitter.
#BREAKING: A 36-year-old woman’s body was recovered from the water approximately 18 miles offshore #PortCanaveral Thursday morning after she went overboard the cruise ship Meraviglia. The cause of the incident is under investigation.
— USCGSoutheast (@USCGSoutheast) December 15, 2022
A video filmed by WFTV Channel 9’s photographers onboard the cruise ship on Thursday showed passengers on deck looking out at the water as the search for the woman began.
#BREAKING: The Coast Guard is searching for a cruise passenger who may have gone overboard 20 miles off the coast of Port Canaveral.
— Alexa Lorenzo (@ALorenzoTV) December 15, 2022
A @WFTV photographers in on board the MSC Meraviglia and got this video earlier this morning. The deck has now been as this search begins. pic.twitter.com/TZljGkmDu3
On Thursday, Port Canaveral’s authorities shared a note released by MSC Cruises warning the public about delays in embarking the company’s cruise ships at the Florida port “due to a guest emergency on board the previous cruise.”
“Dear Guests – Embarkation for your cruise will be delayed by at least 5 hours due to a guest emergency onboard the previous cruise. Please postpone your arrival at Port Canaveral by 5 hours,” the message from MSC Cruises said.
IMPORTANT UPDATE FROM @MSCCruisesUSA REGARDING TODAY’S SAILING ABOARD MSC MERAVIGLIA: “Dear Guests – Embarkation for your cruise will be delayed by at least 5 hours due to a guest emergency onboard the previous cruise. Please postpone your arrival at Port Canaveral by 5 hours.” pic.twitter.com/tDzUeGuxNT
— Port Canaveral (@PortCanaveral) December 15, 2022
The cruise company later shared a statement saying that, early on Thursday, the MSC Meraviglia’s advanced detection systems alerted members of the crew that a passenger had fallen overboard while the ship was sailing to Port Canaveral.
“The crew performed an immediate search and rescue operation, alongside the U.S. Coast Guard who supported search efforts with boats and a helicopter,” the statement said.
“Unfortunately, despite the rapid rescue operation, the passenger sustained fatal injuries.”
MSC Cruises said it’s now cooperating with authorities investigating the incident and has extended its condolences to the family of the victim and those affected.
Another woman fell overboard from a cruise ship off the South Australian coast on Tuesday this week. Her body was found the morning after by one of the two helicopters involved in the search and rescue operations.
Authorities reported that conditions were really rough at sea the night when the 23-year-old woman fell from the Pacific Explorer cruise ship. Her identity wasn’t publicly disclosed.
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