A cruise has ended in tragedy after a crew member went overboard off the coast of Massachusetts early on Sunday morning.
Search Efforts Launched Immediately
A frantic search was launched just after 1:15 a.m. local time when a Norwegian Breakaway employee plunged off an upper deck of the ship into the freezing ocean. The cruise was returning to Boston following a week-long trip to Bermuda.
Lifeboats were deployed and a U.S. Coast Guard search helicopter was dispatched, but the crew member was not found.
Passengers Informed of Delay
The ship arrived back at the terminal just after noon on Sunday, with passengers receiving a letter explaining the late arrival.
“Overnight and into the early morning hours, the ship remained engaged in search and rescue efforts following a man overboard situation, working closely with maritime authorities,” the letter to passengers stated.
“These efforts required the vessel’s full attention before the voyage could safely resume toward Boston. Situations such as these are never easy, and the safety and well-being of those at sea remain at the heart of every decision we make.”
Passenger Recounts Heartbreaking Experience
Passenger Rebecca Durandisse described the situation as “very heartbreaking.”
“It’s very heartbreaking… they ended up saying that someone went over, a crew went over the ledge,” Durandisse told People.
“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.”
Entertainer Recalls Alert
Cruise ship entertainer Rachel Goodman told local media outlet WCVB that a “man overboard” alert went off during one of her performances.
“It was the last couple of songs and they said, ‘Code Oscar,’” Goodman said.
“Not a lot of guests know what that means. They ended up alerting guests (on Sunday) morning. (The captain) said you know, please think of his family and friends and be kind to the staff.”
Search Suspended Pending New Information
The Coast Guard confirmed the search has been suspended “pending new information.”
