Emergency drills are common practice on any cruise ship. It helps keep the crew ready for any kind of situation.
These drills are often done on port days when cruise passengers are mostly off the ship.
But one such drill turned into an actual emergency on Friday when a crew member fell into the water.
The incident happened on Carnival Venezia while the ship was docked in St. Thomas on May 10.
One of the passengers was on board the ship at the time and witnessed the crew member fall off the vessel.
The crew member involved was not participating in the emergency drill but was taking care of maintenance on the ship when he fell into the water.
The video was shared on social media, showing other crew members pulling the man into the rescue boat.
The man was wearing a vest that automatically inflates when it comes into contact with water. This is worn by most maintenance workers who typically work out over the sides of the ship.
Soon after an announcement was made of the ship’s PA system that made clear that the rescue was not part of the emergency drill.
Crew emergency drill turned into a real rescue operation after a crew member fell overboard from cruise ship.https://t.co/4LfpI0PP3w
Video: Linda Spanky Warhaftig COPs Cruisers Opinion Page pic.twitter.com/tHFFohw0Kk— Crew Center (@CrewCenter) May 11, 2024
A Facebook group admin who initially shared the video, made this comment in the group:
“We just had a man overboard. It was NOT a guest but a crew member working on maintenance. He is okay! This ship is amazing! They activated the emergency procedures and everyone responded flawlessly. This happened in the middle of a drill! They lowered a lifeboat to make it easier to get him back on board. Even for something as straightforward as this rescue, the crew member’s retrieval involved every high-ranking officer. Kudos to this ship’s competent, swift response and professionalism.”
