Coast Guard rescuers in New England have reportedly called off a search for a cruise ship crew member who fell off a Norwegian vessel on its way to Boston from Bermuda.
Rescue staff were searching on Sunday off the coast of Massachusetts near Cape Cod after an overboard announcement was issued to passengers, according to U.S. media reports.
The U.S. Coast Guard Sector Southeastern New England received a report that a Norwegian Breakaway crew member was seen on a security camera falling from the ship into the ocean about 19 kilometres off the coast of Wellfleet in Cape Cod, CBS News and People reported.
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The vessel was returning to Boston from a seven-day round-trip cruise to Bermuda.
A passenger reportedly told CBS’s local Boston affiliate that a shipwide announcement was made informing everyone that a person was overboard and that lifeboats were launched.
In a statement to the outlet, the cruiseliner said, “Upon confirming the incident, the vessel immediately informed the United States Coast Guard Marine Rescue Coordination Center, and a coordinated search and rescue operation was initiated.”
“The United States Coast Guard has taken over the search and rescue operation and released the vessel to continue the voyage. The safety, security, and well-being of our crew is our highest priority. Our thoughts are with the crew member’s family during this difficult time,” it continued.
According to the cruise tracking website CruiseMapper, the U.S. Coast Guard sent several helicopters to assist with the search, along with a crew from Coast Guard Station Provincetown early Sunday morning.
Search and rescue efforts were suspended on Sunday afternoon, shortly after the cruise docked at Black Falcon Terminal in Boston, and passenger embarkation procedures were delayed, CBS News and CruiseMapper reported.
The identity of the person who fell overboard has not been released.
Global News contacted the U.S. Coast Guard and Norwegian Breakaway for statements but could not independently verify the reports.
A passenger named Rebecca Durandisse, who told the Boston affiliate she was from Massachusetts and in her room aboard the ship when the incident occurred, said, “It’s very heartbreaking. [Sunday] morning they ended up saying that someone went over, a crew [member] went over the ledge,” she said.
“I was in my estate room, lying in bed. I was drifting off to sleep when I noticed a light go on that woke me up, because I had my window open. And then I heard some loud noises,” Durandisse continued.
According to the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), between 2009 and 2019, about 19 to 25 overboard incidents were reported annually worldwide.
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