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Pianist who fell from Royal Caribbean cruise ship rescued by fishermen after nine hours in the ocean
After spending a harrowing nine hours treading water, a cruise ship pianist was found and rescued by fishermen in the Pacific Ocean.
A currently unnamed Royal Caribbean employee was saved by workers on board a fishing boat after plunging from the 14th deck of the Ovation of the Seas cruise liner.
The cruise ship arrived in Los Angeles at around 7 am on Friday, November 6, but it was one crew member down, after Newport Beach lifeguards believe that the pianist went overboard and fell into the ocean at around 2:30 am.
He was found the following morning after a gruelling night trying to stay alive by fishermen Sean Norton and Grant Garrett around 20 miles off the West Coast around midday.
A fishing boat stopped and its crew saved the man
According to CBS News, the fishermen had been returning to Newport Beach after fishing for marlin near Catalina Island when the captain spotted something in the water.
Garrett told the news outlet: “I’m like, ‘Yeah, it’s a human being. Stop the boat; let’s get all of our lines in."
While Norton added: “Grant and I each got an arm and lifted him up. He was in total shock.
“The only thing he said to me was, ‘Thank you. I thought I was gonna die.'”
The startled crew alerted lifeguards immediately after hauling the man from the water.
They rushed to the vessel and took the cruise ship worker to hospital, where he is being treated for his injuries but is thankfully in a stable condition.
Battalion Chief Adam Yacenda said: “It was approximately 15 to 20 miles offshore, pretty much in the middle of the ocean.”
This year's extreme weather could have saved the man's life
Although it is still unclear how the man fell overboard, Norton said he believes the man only managed to survive in the water overnight because of this year's El Niño, which meant the temperature was much higher than usual for this time of year.
He said: "You have this crazy super El Niño year.
"This guy was in the water for probably 10 hours, but the water's 76 degrees. A different year - no way he makes it.”
Responding to the incident, Royal Caribbean Group said in a statement: “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.”
Authorities have confirmed that an investigation by the US Coast Guard is ongoing.