Cruise ship pianist survives nine hours in Pacific after falling overboard
A Royal Caribbean crew member was rescued off the California coast after fishermen found him treading water far from shore.
By Amir Navarro ·
A pianist employed on a Royal Caribbean cruise ship was rescued from the Pacific Ocean after falling overboard and spending what officials believe was roughly nine hours in the water, according to US media reports.
The crew member was discovered treading water about 20 miles (32km) off the California coast, near Catalina Island, on Friday, CBS News reported. Two fishermen, Grant Garrett and Sean Norton, came across him and pulled him from the ocean.
Garrett recalled the moment they realized what they were seeing: "I'm like, 'Yeah, it's a human being. Stop the boat; let's get all of our lines in.'"
The man, whose identity has not been made public, was taken to hospital in a stable condition, the US Coast Guard told the BBC. The agency said it is investigating the incident.
According to the fishermen, the man told them he worked as a pianist aboard the Ovation of the Seas, a 14-deck cruise ship. Norton said the rescued man offered only a few words after being pulled aboard: "The only thing he said to me was, 'Thank you. I thought I was gonna die.'"
In a statement, the Coast Guard said it had received a report from "a Good Samaritan who recovered a conscious individual from the water." The man was transferred to Newport Beach Lifeguards, who confirmed he was an employee of the Ovation of the Seas.
Lifeguard officials believe the crew member went overboard at around 02:30, some nine hours before the fishermen spotted him. Newport Beach Lifeguard Battalion Chief Adam Yacenda told CBS the rescue happened "approximately 15 to 20 miles offshore, pretty much in the middle of the ocean."
Norton attributed the man's survival to unusually warm seas. "You have this crazy super El Nino year. This guy was in the water for probably 10 hours, but the water's 76 degrees," he said, a temperature of about 24C. "A different year, no way he makes it."
Scientists monitoring the Pacific say the developing El Nino climate phenomenon is now the strongest on record, with ocean temperatures running about 3.05C above average.
A Royal Caribbean Group spokesperson said in a statement to the BBC: "We are providing support and assistance to our crew member during this difficult time. To respect the privacy of our employee, we have no additional details to share."
