Miracle Rescue: Overboard Passenger from Odyssey of the Seas Found Alive

UPDATE (Saturday, Oct 10): The missing passenger from Odyssey of the Seas has been found alive and conscious. She was rescued early Saturday morning by maritime authorities and brought to a local hospital in stable condition.

A search and rescue mission was conducted in the Mediterranean Sea after a reported man-overboard incident on a Royal Caribbean cruise ship.

According to reports circulating on social media and elsewhere, a 44-year-old female passenger from El Salvador went overboard from Royal Caribbean’s Odyssey of the Seas.

The incident took place while the 4,200-passenger ship was sailing from Mykonos, Greece, toward its next port of call on the itinerary in Naples, Italy.

Passenger Rescued Alive

In an incredible and miraculous outcome, the missing passenger was spotted and rescued alive during the early morning hours on Saturday, according to local news reports.

After Odyssey of the Seas completed its search grid and resumed course back to Italy, search efforts continued with local Greek authorities and surrounding commercial vessels in the area. At around 2:30 AM local time, a passing Madeira-flagged cargo ship spotted the woman floating in open water roughly 70 nautical miles southwest of Zakynthos.

The cargo ship alerted emergency response teams and rescued her from the water before transferring her to a Hellenic Coast Guard vessel, which brought her ashore at Katakolo port.

Some preliminary estimates suggest the woman could have been in the water for 19-20 hours. Surviving almost an entire day adrift in open water (especially overnight) is very rare, making this rescue a bonified miracle.

The woman was taken to a local hospital and reportedly was suffering from hypothermia but is said to be in stable condition. On Saturday morning at around 10:00 AM local time, the captain made a ship-wide announcement informing passengers on board that the woman had been found alive and was receiving medical care.

Below is a video of an MSC containership finding and rescuing the passenger:

How the Incident Unfolded

According to reports from passengers on board, it all happened during the early morning hours on Friday.

Security camera footage was later reviewed by the crew, confirming that the woman had gone over the side of the vessel. However, since this was about four hours after the incident, it made the search efforts even more difficult.

Even if a man-overboard incident has eyewitnesses that can mark the time and location, it’s difficult to retrieve someone in this situation.

At about 10:00 AM local time on Friday, the captain made a ship-wide announcement informing guests of the emergency. Odyssey of the Seas immediately turned around and began performing a search pattern about 70–72 miles southwest of Zakynthos, Greece.

Tracking data from VesselFinder earlier showed the ship carrying out search patterns in the area where the woman was last known to be. The Greek Joint Rescue Coordination Center (EKSED) joined in the search with a patrol boat and helicopter as some nearby commercial vessels also helped with the search effort.

During the search, passengers on board reported that the captain had announced that the woman grabbed a life ring before entering the water. Initial onboard announcements indicated that search teams pulled the light from a life ring out of the water, without the life ring itself. But some passengers observing the recovery operation from their balconies reported seeing crew members retrieve a life ring with its light attached.

After more than 12 hours of searching for the passenger, tracking data showed the vessel leaving the search area and heading west at approximately 21 knots to resume its course toward Italy.

A Royal Caribbean spokesperson stated:

“We immediately launched a search and rescue effort and are working with authorities. Our Care Team is actively providing support and assistance to the guest’s loved ones during this difficult time. For the privacy of the guest and their family, we have no additional details to share.”

Passengers on board have confirmed that the scheduled port call in Naples was canceled and that a sea day replaced the day in port.

Passengers Share Live Updates from the Ship

Cruisers on board Odyssey of the Seas took to social media and forum communities like Reddit to share updates as the operation unfolded:

“We were heading towards Naples when, around 10 am, the captain informed us that a woman had jumped off the ship in the early hours of the morning. The ship turned around, and we’ve now been circling for hours while conducting search and rescue operations with the help of the Greek Coast Guard. Apparently, she grabbed an inflatable ring and just jumped into the middle of the ocean.”

Odyssey of the Seas is currently on a 7-day roundtrip sailing from Civitavecchia (Rome) that is scheduled to arrive back in homeport on Sunday, October 11.

Some passengers described the atmosphere on board as the ship conducted search patterns alongside maritime authorities:

“It was eerie when the Windjammer went silent after the Captain made the first announcement.”

“I’m on the same ship, we are still doing circles, there has not been news yet about this person. Meanwhile, enjoying the Solarium with a great view of 3 search and rescue ships + 1 helicopter,” another passenger stated.

“They didn’t figure out it happened till 4 hours later, the only reason they knew is cause they found the camera footage of her jumping. Also on this ship! There are as of now 5 rescue ships, 1 helicopter, 1 airplane, and 1 rescue vessel looking for her.”

What Happens Next?

With the passenger now safely rescued and receiving medical care in Greece, Odyssey of the Seas is completing its transit directly to Civitavecchia (Rome) to wrap up its itinerary on Sunday, October 11 as planned.

Cruise Fever will keep this page updated as more official statements are released by Royal Caribbean or the Greek Coast Guard.