MADRID—A cruise operator says a passenger went overboard during a voyage in the Mediterranean Sea and a search for the missing Korean woman has been called off without her being found.
Norwegian Cruise Line tweeted a photographed statement on June 9 that said the woman went into the sea Saturday while the Norwegian Epic was sailing from Cannes, France to Palma de Mallorca, Spain.
The short statement says authorities were alerted and a search and rescue operation was launched, but no trace of the woman was seen and the search was abandoned Sunday.
(1/2) Early morning on June 8, a 63-year-old Korean female guest went overboard while the ship was sailing from Cannes, France to Palma de Mallorca, Spain. As soon as the report was made, the authorities were notified and a search and rescue operation ensued.
— Cruise Norwegian (@CruiseNorwegian) June 9, 2019
(2/2) The search has now ceased, and sadly, the guest has not been found. Our thoughts and prayers are with the individual’s family during this difficult time.
— Cruise Norwegian (@CruiseNorwegian) June 9, 2019
Norwegian Cruise Line did not immediately reply to phone calls and emails requesting further information.
The cruise ship departed from Cannes, France, on June 7 and was making its way to its next stop in Palma, Majorca, for the morning of June 8.
But at around 8:30 a.m. local time, the ship turned back after the captain announced that a passenger was thought to have fallen overboard.
Cruise Norwegian, which operated the Norwegian Epic tour, said in a statement on June 8, “Early this morning, a report was made that an adult guest went overboard while the ship was sailing to Spain.”
Early this morning, a report was made that an adult guest went overboard while the ship was sailing to Spain. The authorities were immediately notified & a search and rescue operation ensued. The search remains underway. Our thoughts and prayers are with the individual’s family.
— Cruise Norwegian (@CruiseNorwegian) June 8, 2019
“The authorities were immediately notified & a search and rescue operation ensued. The search remains underway. Our thoughts and prayers are with the individual’s family,” the company added.
The missing passenger is believed to have gone overboard around 40 miles northwest of Minorca. A distress warning was sent out to all navigators in the region.
At dawn, Maritime Rescue received an urgent call to assist with locating the missing passenger and several boats, a helicopter and a plane were sent out to aid with the search.
I’m aboard as well. So sad. We’ve just been circling all day. pic.twitter.com/fTiPjqACxa
— Marco Salerno (@Marco_Salerno33) June 8, 2019
Passenger Rebekah Sanderlin told the Weather Channel that the ship returned to the area where the passenger was thought to have fallen and has remained stationary since.
“At about 8:30 a.m., the captain came on the speaker and said the ship was turning around to go back to look for a passenger who he said they had ‘good evidence’ had gone overboard.
“After about two hours of sailing, he came on the speaker again and said that we were in the area where she went overboard.”
Sanderlin added that the passengers had been directed by the captain to look for her in the water from the deck railings.
“Thousands of passengers stood at the rails looking for hours. We have stayed in that location, not moving, all day,” she said.
“There are some planes flying overhead but I do not see any other ships or boats.”
Since the incident, the cruise ship’s port call to Majorca has been canceled and the ship is expected to make its way to Barcelona on June 9.
The Associated Press and Epoch Times Reporter Isabel von Burgen contributed to this report.
