Cruise Passenger Rescued After 20 Hours at Sea

Accounts of the timeline differ slightly. CBS News, citing the news agency AFP (Agence France-Presse), reported that the incident happened early on Friday and that she was found early on Saturday, while Fox News, quoting Greek officials speaking to USA Today, said the ship was passing Zakynthos on Saturday. Once the alert went out, two coast guard boats and a navy helicopter were sent to the area, other nearby ships were redirected, and the cruise ship itself joined the search. A coast guard spokesperson told AFP that the woman had said she jumped because she "wanted to disembark", adding simply that "she was 20 hours at sea."

After the rescue, she was taken to the port of Katakolo and then to a hospital in the nearby city of Pyrgos for health tests, including a psychiatric evaluation ordered by a local prosecutor. The coast guard later released a short video showing a crew throwing a rope to the woman as she floated in the life ring at night. The Odyssey of the Seas is 1,138 feet long, can carry 4,198 guests and offers seasonal cruises around the Greek islands. Fox News said it had contacted Royal Caribbean for comment. In a separate, unrelated case last year, a man jumped from another Royal Caribbean ship, the Rhapsody of the Seas, near San Juan, Puerto Rico, allegedly to avoid paying gambling debts of roughly $16,000 to $17,000. He was brought to shore by a passer-by on a jet ski and was later charged with trying to avoid U.S. currency-reporting rules.