Woman who jumped from Royal Caribbean cruise ship found alive after 20 hours at sea off Greece
A 44-year-old woman from El Salvador who went overboard from the Odyssey of the Seas was found alive in a lifebuoy early on Saturday, 10 October, about 70 nautical miles south-west of Zakynthos. She is under medical observation and the Katakolo Port Authority is investigating.
Alarm and search
The Royal Caribbean cruise ship Odyssey of the Seas was sailing towards Zakynthos on the morning of Friday, 9 October, when a 44-year-old woman from El Salvador ended up in the water. Greek Coast Guard authorities were alerted immediately and launched an extensive search. Two Coast Guard boats, a helicopter, passing merchant ships and the cruise ship itself, which turned back to search, took part in the operation. Coast Guard spokespeople told AFP that the woman later said she had jumped because she 'wanted to disembark', and the circumstances of her entering the water were initially unclear. An Italian report says the ship had left Civitavecchia on 4 October for a seven-night tour, and that its planned stop in Naples was cancelled so it could continue searching for more than 14 hours.
Rescue
Early on Saturday, 10 October, the crew of a cargo ship sailing under the Madeira flag, the MSC ROSSELLA III, spotted the flashing light attached to the lifebuoy the woman was holding. She was found alive and conscious, about 70 nautical miles south-west of Zakynthos and roughly two nautical miles from the place where she reportedly entered the water. Reports differ on which vessel located her: most describe the cargo ship, while a French report credits a passenger ferry. The Coast Guard rescue vessel recovered her, gave her first aid, and landed her at the port of Katakolo. From there she was taken by ambulance to a hospital in Pyrgos for medical observation.
- Woman goes overboard from Odyssey of the Seas near Zakynthos; Coast Guard alerted and search launched
- Found alive in a lifebuoy in the early hours by a cargo ship, then recovered by the Coast Guard
- Landed at Katakolo and taken by ambulance to a hospital in Pyrgos for medical observation
Medical checks and investigation
According to the Coast Guard, the medical assessment includes a psychiatric examination ordered by a local prosecutor. Passengers posting on social media said she had been treated for hypothermia and was able to walk unaided once on land, but these accounts have not been confirmed by officials. The Katakolo Port Authority says it is investigating the incident. Coast Guard representatives have not provided further details about the circumstances in which the woman got into the water or the reasons she left the ship.
Earlier cases
The Independent reports that such survivals are not unprecedented. In November 2022, a 28-year-old man survived almost 20 hours in the Gulf of Mexico after falling from the Carnival Valor and was rescued by the US Coast Guard. In August 2018, a British tourist survived around 10 hours in the Adriatic Sea after falling from the Norwegian Star and was rescued by Croatian coastguards.
Open questions
The sources agree on the core facts: the woman went overboard near Zakynthos on 9 October and was found alive the next morning. They do not yet explain how she came to hold the lifebuoy that kept her afloat, and the Katakolo Port Authority inquiry has not reported any findings.
