A search and rescue operation is currently underway off the Scottish coast after a passenger was reported missing from a solar eclipse cruise on an Ambassador Cruise Line vessel.
HM Coastguard (the UK’s national civilian maritime emergency service) and Police Scotland launched a search response after receiving emergency notifications around 8:35 AM on Friday, August 21.
The search effort involves Coastguard helicopters, fixed-wing aircraft, and RNLI lifeboats that are sweeping an area of the North Sea about 40 nautical miles off the coast of Arbroath and Fife.
Nearby commercial vessels also joined to help search teams.
The missing guest was sailing on Ambassador Cruise Line’s 1,248-passenger Ambition, which was completing a two-week solar eclipse itinerary featuring stops in Iceland, the Faroe Islands, and Lerwick in the Shetland Islands.
Ambassador Cruise Line is a British cruise line, currently operating three ships in the fleet.
Discovery and Port Arrival
The ship’s crew did not realize the passenger was missing while sailing to the next destination, which is why tracking data doesn’t show the ship performing a search pattern.
Vessel tracking shows Ambition maintained a continuous southward sailing track past Shetland and Aberdeen, docking at its scheduled final port in Dundee, Scotland, on Friday morning.
Around 7:30 AM, while the ship was pulling into port, a public announcement was made asking the missing guest to contact reception.
After docking in Dundee, the captain notified passengers that disembarkation would be delayed while the crew performed a thorough search of the ship.
About 1,000 passengers were told to remain in designated disembarkation lounges as authorities were notified and the ship was cleared.
Guests have since been allowed to disembark the vessel, and Ambassador Cruise Line confirmed that the captain reported the missing person incident once it was verified the guest was not on board.
Search and rescue operations in the North Sea are ongoing at this time.
In a statement, the cruise line said:
“Having initially been asked to remain on board while the search was carried out, guests have now been cleared to disembark. Ambassador follows stringent search and rescue protocols in line with international maritime safety standards. We continue to work in close collaboration with the Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC), The Maritime and Coastguard Agency, HM Coastguard and Police Scotland as the investigation continues.”
Looking for the Best Cruise Deals?
Search Multiple Sites at Once
Instant Real Time Pricing
Search Now
