cruise ship lost at sea 2023

latest in US News

11-year-old migrant boy arrested as 'aggressor' in violent NYC...

NJ soccer coach indicted for sexting, molesting his players —...

8-year-old girl beats robber with baseball bat as he tried to...

Northeast will face hard winter with 'copious amounts of snow,...

'Shark Tank' star backs role for Elon Musk in Trump White House,...

Trump trails Harris in all but two critical election battlegrounds

Hunter Biden hires high-profile defense lawyer for tax fraud...

Beloved dad shot dead by neighbor after daughter 'touched the...

Terrifying video shows passengers hanging on for dear life after massive wave stranded cruise ship.

Terrifying footage has emerged of panicked passengers bracing aboard a Norwegian cruise ship that lost power when it was hit by a rogue wave in the North Sea.

The passengers aboard the stranded MS Maud were captured on video wearing life vests and holding onto tables after the vessel was hit by 70-foot waves and gale-force winds caused by Storm Pia last week.

“Lay on the floor!” one panic-stricken person is heard shouting during the stomach-churning incident, according to footage shared by SWNS.

The ship, which departed from Tilbury Docks in the UK on Dec. 9 carrying 266 passengers and 131 crew, lost its power and navigational equipment when it ran into the storm on Dec. 21.

Among the passengers were Brian Launder, 75, and his wife, Carole, who was celebrating her 70th birthday with their first-ever cruise, according to the outlet.

Launder, of Richmond, North Yorkshire, said he saw waves reaching their cabin windows on the fifth deck and water gushing through the corridors.

“At the one stage they were getting the lifeboats ready,” he told SWNS on Saturday, adding that they had hoped to be back home for Christmas before the maritime mishap.

“The cruise had to be cut short as they had to cut through the storm. We spent lots of hours not moving with no power. We were talking to the officers and they estimated the waves were 15 to 20 meters,” he said.

“We were worried when the water came through the door. My wife was so calm, she was helping this lady. She got her sorted out,” Launder continued.

He said one person was hurt on the ship, owned by Hurtigruten Expeditions.

“She had a baby in her arms but she went flying,” he said, adding that the “captain had to move the bridge to the passenger lounge due to three windows blown out by a wave.”

On Sunday, he said, a rescue ship was alongside the Maud to provide navigation aid after the ship was diverted to Bremerhaven, Germany.

The couple planned to travel back to Hamburg for an early morning flight to Frankfurt and then finally back to the UK, where they expected to arrive in London on Christmas Eve.

Even in moments of sheer fear, our fellow passengers found levity from the destruction of the Gingerbread Town that collapsed, fragmented & slid around us in Muster Station A Deck 5 18.19 21.12.23 #Hurtigruten #MSMaud whilst #StormPia raged around us. https://t.co/vBjwTDa3v1 pic.twitter.com/iqRkGdZGTG — Oscar Dog (@OscarWoofs) December 23, 2023

“Apart from the drama, we’ve actually quite enjoyed it,” the grandfather of four quipped. “We’ve never been on a cruise ship before. I’d definitely go on one again.”

Meanwhile, another video captured some passengers who enjoyed some humor during the scary incident.

“Even in moments of sheer fear, our fellow passengers found levity from the destruction of the Gingerbread Town that collapsed, fragmented & slid around us in Muster Station A Deck 5 18.19 21.12.23 #Hurtigruten #MSMaud whilst #StormPia raged around us,” X user Oscar Dog wrote.

He shared a video of a woman displaying a smiling elf puppet as she sat on the floor on the debris-strewn deck, where she was surrounded by other passengers wearing orange survival gear.

Advertisement

Norwegian cruise ship loses ability to navigate after rogue wave hits

A Norwegian cruise ship lost the ability to navigate after a rogue wave crashed into it Thursday, the cruise company HX said.

The MS Maud lost power after the wave hit as the ship was sailing toward Tilbury, England, from Florø, Norway, HX, a unit of Norway’s Hurtigruten Group, said in a statement.

None of the 266 passengers or 131 crew members were seriously injured, HX said.

"The situation is stable, the ship has propulsion and they are able to navigate the ship manually via emergency systems," the Danish Joint Rescue Coordination Centre said in a statement Friday local time.

The rogue wave shattered windows on the ship's bridge, which caused water to enter the vessel and resulted in a power outage, Reuters reported.

The ship was in the North Sea at the time, in an area hit by a storm late Thursday with hurricane-force gusts forecast to continue Friday, the Danish Meteorological Institute said according to Reuters.

One passenger posted a video on Facebook showing the view from her room's window Thursday with the cruise ship bobbing up and down and creaking in the throes of high waves. 

Because of a lack of navigational abilities, the ship had to be steered manually from the engine room, per the news agency.

Two civilian support vessels are aiding the ship in its journey to port, Danish rescue authorities said.

The ship, traveling under its own power, is currently sailing to Bremerhaven, Germany, for disembarkation, HX said in an updated statement Friday.

“Following ongoing safety checks and technical assessments, given the weather conditions, we decided to amend the planned sailing route. Across the fleet, there are thorough operational protocols in place and we always prioritize the safety of those onboard,” HX said.

"Our team are working to arrange onward travel back home for guests onboard," the statement added.

Irene Byon is a booking producer for NBC News.

Rebecca Cohen is a breaking news reporter for NBC News.

Carnival cruise ship rescues men stuck at sea after cargo vessel capsizes

A Carnival Cruise Line ship rescued six people after their vessel capsized.

Carnival Vista brought six men on board early Wednesday morning near the Dominican Republic after they got stranded overnight. The men had been in a small cargo vessel.

“Carnival Vista’s officers under the direction of Captain Paolo Severini immediately altered the ship’s course, in coordination with Carnival’s Fleet Operations Center in Miami, when an onboard monitoring system received an emergency alert,” the cruise line said in a news release .

The ship’s officers located the men on a life raft. Vista is on a six-day Caribbean cruise that departed from Florida’s Port Canaveral on Sunday, according to CruiseMapper .

Carnival spokesperson Matt Lupoli did not have any additional information about who the men were.

A Coast Guard Operation Turks and Caicos MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew later rescued six other crew members after Carnival notified officials they were missing. They were holding onto debris of the vessel, named Two Brothers, which sank approximately 30 miles north of Puerto Plata.

The survivors “were reported in good health,” the Coast Guard said in a news release . Officials advised that Carnival Vista resume its route and the ship continued to its planned stop at Amber Cove on Wednesday.

The news comes after another Carnival ship, Mardi Gras, rescued a couple stuck at sea in a sailboat in August.

Nathan Diller is a consumer travel reporter for USA TODAY based in Nashville. You can reach him at [email protected].

Norwegian Cruise Ship Loses Navigation Ability in North Sea During Storm

A handout image of the Norwegian cruise ship MS Maud, in Westfjords, Iceland July 12, 2023. Magnus Thor Hafsteinsson/Handout via REUTERS

By Jacob Gronholt-Pedersen

COPENHAGEN (Reuters) -The Norwegian cruise ship MS Maud suffered a power outage after a rogue wave shattered windows on the bridge while it sailed in the North Sea, causing the vessel to lose its ability to navigate, Danish authorities and the ship's owner said on Thursday.

The 266 passengers and 131 crew members were safe, according to the Danish Joint Rescue Coordination Centre.

"There is no power on the ship. The main engine is functioning but the navigation systems and radars are not," a spokesperson for the centre, which is responsible for coordinating search and rescue operations, said.

While sailing roughly 200 kilometres (120 miles) off Denmark's west coast and roughly 330 kilometres off Britain's east coast, strong winds blasted windows on the bridge of the vessel, allowing water to enter and resulting in a power failure on the bridge, the centre said.

The ship, which belongs to cruise company HX, a unit of Norway's Hurtigruten Group, left Floroe in Norway on Thursday and was due to arrive in Tilbury in the UK on Friday.

"Earlier this afternoon, December 21, MS Maud reported a temporary loss of power after encountering a rogue wave," Hurtigruten said in an emailed statement.

"At this time, the ship has confirmed that no serious passenger or crew injuries have been sustained as a result of the incident and the condition of the ship remains stable," it said.

A towage vessel from the civil rescue company Esvagt was scheduled to arrive at the ship around 2230 GMT.

The ship is currently being steered manually from the engine room but cannot navigate. Esvagt support vessels had arrived to help the ship navigate until the ship could be towed to port.

"I don't think there is any danger to the ship now. If the captain thought so, he would have asked to be evacuated which he hasn't," the rescue centre spokesperson said.

The area was hit by a storm late on Thursday with hurricane-force gusts blowing from the northwest that were forecast to continue on Friday, the Danish Meteorological Institute said.

(Reporting by Jacob Gronholt-PedersenEditing by Josie Kao, Deepa Babington and Cynthia Osterman)

Copyright 2023 Thomson Reuters .

Photos You Should See - July 2024

Join the Conversation

Tags: Denmark , United Kingdom , Europe , Norway

America 2024

U.S. News Decision Points

Your trusted source for the latest news delivered weekdays from the team at U.S. News and World Report.

Sign in to manage your newsletters »

Sign up to receive the latest updates from U.S News & World Report and our trusted partners and sponsors. By clicking submit, you are agreeing to our Terms and Conditions & Privacy Policy .

You May Also Like

The 10 worst presidents.

U.S. News Staff Feb. 23, 2024

The Best Cartoons on Donald Trump

Aug. 14, 2024, at 11:54 a.m.

Joe Biden Behind The Scenes

July 25, 2024

Trump Promises a New Economic Boom

Tim Smart Aug. 14, 2024

Annual Inflation Dips to 2.9%

Trump Shooting: One Month Later

Laura Mannweiler Aug. 13, 2024

Harris, Trump Quiet on COVID

Cecelia Smith-Schoenwalder Aug. 13, 2024

Wholesale Inflation Rises

Tim Smart Aug. 13, 2024

Trump’s X Homecoming

Cecelia Smith-Schoenwalder Aug. 12, 2024

Harris, Trump Propose Tax Cuts on Tips

Laura Mannweiler Aug. 12, 2024

Steals & Deals: Up to 80% off wireless earbuds, a blow dry hair brush, more — plus free shipping

• Share this —

• Watch Full Episodes
• Read With Jenna
• Inspirational
• Relationships
• TODAY Table
• Newsletters
• Start TODAY
• Shop TODAY Awards
• Citi Concert Series
• Listen All Day

Follow today

More Brands

• On The Show
• TODAY Plaza

Norwegian cruise ship loses power after it was hit by rogue wave in North Sea

A Norwegian cruise ship with more than 250 passengers on board lost power on Thursday, Dec. 21, after the vessel encountered a rogue wave during a storm, the cruise company HX said.

The MS Maud sustained a temporary loss of power while sailing to Tilbury, England, from Florø, Norway, HX said in a statement to NBC News. No serious injuries were reported among the 266 passengers and 131 crew members, according to HX.

"The condition of the ship remains stable and the crew are able to sail under their own power," a spokesperson for HX said.

The Danish Joint Rescue Coordination Centre said in a statement to NBC News the ship's crew is navigating the vessel manually via emergency systems, and that two civilian support ships are helping to navigate the waters in the North Sea .

HX said after following ongoing safety checks and technical assessments, the company amended the ship's planned route to sail to Bremerhaven, Germany, for disembarkation.

"Our team are working to arrange onward travel back home for guests onboard," a spokesperson for the company said.

The storm's hurricane-force winds smashed windows on the MS Maud, and passengers aboard described the frightening situation.

Dorothy Hallam, a passenger on board, wrote on social media, "We've been sat on the floor in our muster stations for hours wearing our safety suits and life jackets and there's no sign of us being allowed up any time soon. We were thrown about a lot."

Ian Roberts, another passenger, wrote on Facebook about the unexpected change in holiday plans.

"Sorry for those whose Christmas treat has been spoiled. However, crew on board Maud have been exemplary in looking after us in what was initially quite a tricky situation," Roberts said.

The MS Maud isn't the first ship to encounter rough seas in the North Sea — dramatic videos of huge waves crashing in the area have become a source of fascination on TikTok.

While the waters of the North Sea can be turbulent, marine experts said it's generally safe for the hundreds of thousands of ships that pass through every year.

Anna Kaplan is a news and trending reporter for TODAY.com.

Australian Breaking Organization dispels rumors Raygun cheated to get to Paris Olympics

Paris olympics.

Simone Biles gives sneak peeks of her new home, including one stunning bathroom

‘Love Island UK’ stars Molly-Mae Hague and Tommy Fury break up after 5 years together

J.K. Rowling and Elon Musk named in cyberbullying suit filed by Olympic boxer Imane Khelif

Scott Peterson now: What happened after Laci Peterson murder conviction?

New Zealand charity distributes candies with potentially lethal levels of meth

Tim Walz and wife Gwen talk about their son's learning disorder: 'It's his secret power'

Ex-NFL player gets prison time in death of 5-year-old girl in Las Vegas

What Olympic events are coming to LA in 2028 and why is breaking not on the list?

Danielle Fishel recalls ‘Boy Meets World’ weight gain storyline, shocks Candace Cameron Bure: ‘You see my jaw on the floor?’

Brisbane man missing after falling overboard from Quantum of the Seas cruise ship near Hawaii, US Coast Guard confirms

The US Coast Guard said it will resume its search at first light on Friday morning local time, for a Brisbane man who went overboard from a cruise ship off Hawaii on Wednesday night.

Key points:

• Life rings, search vessels, and lights were used overnight to try to locate the missing man 
• A fellow passenger described the ordeal as "very traumatic and sad" 
• Royal Caribbean staff have been described as "amazing" throughout the process

The ship, the Royal Caribbean's Quantum of the Seas, halted its course after the incident, which took place about 500 nautical miles south of Hawaii's Big Island, and took part in the initial search for about two hours.

The cruise ship has since continued its course. 

Aimee West, from Mount Isa, and her partner were on the cruise.

"There was a lot of commotion on the boat. It all started at about 9pm," she told ABC North West. 

"There were a few medical emergencies so the loudspeaker was going off quite a lot.

"At about 11pm, midnight, we observed the vessel slowing down and turning around on our maps.

"We saw about five life rings that were floating in the ocean and there were search vessels and lots of lights on the water.

"They broadcast several times that there was a suspected man overboard situation and that the crews were following their procedures.

"They requested all guests return to their cabins and account for all their members and if someone was missing, to call 911 on our emergency systems here if we were missing a passenger.

"We were messaging our friends to make sure they had everyone in their party.

"To be real, for me personally it was very surreal and quite sad. It was quite confronting, we were all out trying to spot anything to help the staff.

"But it was very sad going to bed, that's for sure."

The mood on the ship was quite sombre, Ms West said.

"You can tell the crew is trying to do their best to keep spirits up for everyone else on board for the rest of their trip.

"Everyone kind of realises it's very traumatic and sad and you feel for the families involved.

"We were awake until about 1.30am and they were still searching."

Brad Hardy, from Mount Isa, said he was on deck 14 of the cruise ship when he heard the emergency broadcast.

"All the staff just dropped everything and ran to every possible vantage point on the ship," Mr Hardy said.

"We looked out of the window up on the deck and [saw] a lot of life preservers … the big rings were getting thrown overboard, at least eight or nine of those got thrown overboard.

"The ship slowed right down and then did a hard turn to the left and doubled back.

"The search lights were on from the ship's bridge as well, they rapidly deployed their 'runabout' rescue vessel off the ship and then spent the next couple of hours in the water searching around.

"Probably around 1am we started moving again.

Gayle Doe, from New South Wales, is also on board and described the ordeal as "scary and unsettling". 

"We were sitting at the bar at 11 o'clock last night when we heard 'Oscar, Oscar, Oscar' which is the code for man overboard," Ms Doe said.

"There were a lot of announcements, telling us that the ship was being turned around, most people could feel the ship had changed course, it was a bit bumpy in the water.

"The crew went into their training mode, they threw lifebuoys out into the sea and they deployed their … lifesaving boats.

"Of course, it was night-time – it was black, so they had lots of spotlights on the ocean … but weren't successful [in finding the man].

"We've been told the coast guard and helicopters are still out searching in the ocean, in the area where the man went."

She said there was "a lot of sadness" on board the ship on Thursday.

"There are people who have been crying," Ms Doe said.

She said the cruise ship captain had been providing regular updates over the loudspeaker and had just confirmed there would be no further updates.

Cruise staff 'amazing'

Ms West said the Royal Caribbean cruise staff "were amazing" and have kept all passengers updated throughout the ordeal.

"We even witnessed staff when, we were in Tahiti [earlier], practising retrievals in the water," she said.

"The staff were all out on safety posts, there was not a space or inch on the boat where there wasn't a staff member shining a torch in the water."

The Honolulu Command Centre has confirmed that the person missing is an Australian man, but provided no further details.

A Royal Caribbean Cruise Line spokesperson confirmed the Quantum of the Seas departed Brisbane on April 12 and is scheduled to arrive in Honolulu on April 28.

"While on its trans-Pacific sailing, a guest onboard Quantum of the Seas went overboard," the spokesperson said.

"The ship's crew immediately launched a search and rescue operation and is working closely with local authorities."

• X (formerly Twitter)
• Disasters, Accidents and Emergency Incidents
• Maritime Accidents and Incidents
• Missing Person
• Travel Health and Safety
• Travel and Tourism (Lifestyle and Leisure)
• United States

• Film and TV

To make sure you never miss out on your favourite NEW stories , we're happy to send you some reminders

Click ' OK ' then ' Allow ' to enable notifications

Rescue mission for missing cruise ship passenger who fell overboard suspended

"i instantly felt sick to my stomach.".

Poppy Bilderbeck

The search for a passenger who went overboard on a Royal Caribbean cruise two days before Christmas has been called off.

On 23 December at 7:17pm, the North Carolina Coast Guard received a call alerting them to a passenger having gone overboard from a Royal Caribbean Vision of the Seas cruise ship.

The cruise was heading to the Bahamas and the passenger - aged 41-years-old but not publicly named - is reported as having fallen into the Atlantic Ocean just over 100 miles from the coast of Charleston.

The Coast Guard sent two crews to perform an aerial search to try and locate the passenger; the first, a C-130 airplane from Elizabeth City, North Carolina, which took off shortly after 11:00pm and the second, a C-130 from Clearwater, Florida.

Petty officer Vincent Moreno told The Post and Courier on December 24: "We’re just continuing to search. The Coast Guard never stops.

"The holidays don’t affect our hours."

Colin Schappi - another passenger on the 'Eight Night Bahamas & Perfect Day Holiday Cruise' - told WCBD he first knew something was wrong when he heard crew members shouting at around 7:15pm.

He said he heard them exclaiming: "Oscar! Oscar! Oscar! Starboard!."

Jake Utzinger, aged 21, told The Post and Courier that an announcement was made by the captain at around 7:45pm.

He said: "I instantly felt sick to my stomach knowing that one of our fellow travelers had been lost at sea.

"It’s definitely going to be rough continuing this voyage knowing that a family is missing their loved one."

And the 41-year-old passenger currently remains missing, the US Coast Guard having now suspended its search too, according to Count On News 2.

The Coast Guard is reported as having searched for eight hours, covering over 1,625 square miles.

The ship's next stop is Port Canaveral and it's then set to return to Baltimore on Saturday (30 December).

It has a capacity for 2,000 guests and 700 crew members, measuring 915-foot long by 105-foot wide.

A spokesperson for Royal Caribbean Group told The Post and Courier: "The ship and crew immediately reported the incident to local authorities and launched a search and rescue mission.

"Out of privacy for the guest and their family, we have no additional details to share."

UNILAD has contacted Royal Caribbean Group for further comment.

Anyone with new information is asked to call the U.S. Coast Guard Sector Charleston at 843-740-7050.

Topics:  Christmas , News , Travel , Royal Caribbean

Poppy Bilderbeck is a Senior Journalist at LADbible Group. She graduated from The University of Manchester in 2021 with a First in English Literature and Drama, where alongside her studies she was Editor-in-Chief of The Tab Manchester. Poppy is most comfortable when chatting about all things mental health, is proving a drama degree is far from useless by watching and reviewing as many TV shows and films as possible and is such a crisp fanatic the office has been forced to release them in batches.

Choose your content:

Doctor reveals bizarre reason why men get the 'summer penis' phenomenon

Hotter temperatures can affect the sizing of male genitalia.

Dr DisRespect deletes his post admitting to inappropriately messaging a minor

The streamer was reportedly in contact with the minor in 2017.

Olympic athlete compares his gold medals from past two games and people say there's a clear favorite

One is definitely a lot shinier than the other.

People are calling out Blake Lively for her ‘shocking’ behavior in interview that made reporter nearly quit her job

The 2016 interview has gone viral online.

• Staff member on world’s biggest cruise ship recalls what happened in moments after passenger ‘jumped’ overboard
• Student, 19, identified as passenger who went overboard on world's largest cruise ship
• Search and rescue launched after man, 20, 'jumped off' cruise ship in front of family
• Passenger dies after jumping off the world’s largest cruise ship

Carnival cruise passengers said other cruisers cheered — and jeered —when their ship rescued 24 migrants adrift at sea

• A Carnival cruise ship rescued 24 migrants lost at sea last week, two passengers told Insider.
• A spokesperson for the company said cruise ships often come to the aid of boats in distress.
• "It was amazing to watch people cheer and clap once the last person stepped onto the ship," one passenger said. 

Carnival cruise passengers watched on as crew members rescued 24 migrants from a small boat adrift in the Caribbean earlier this month, according to news reports and two passengers on board the ship, who spoke to Insider about the unexpected mission.

The Carnival Spirit , a 2,100-passenger capacity cruise ship, was en route to Aruba on April 11 when it came upon a small motorized boat floating in the open seas between the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico, the cruise line and passengers said.

"I saw them on the starboard side and they were taking on water," said Carol Sutton, 63, who was leaving brunch with her granddaughter when she and other passengers first noticed the boat in the distance.

The cruise ship's captain soon came over the loudspeaker informing passengers that the ship would be slowing down to assist with an emergency rescue, Sutton and another passenger told Insider.

"I could see in the distance a boat loaded with people," said Tonja Senn, 60, an Oklahoman cruising with her husband. "They had some motor capability, a couple of outboard engines, but you could tell they were starting to fail or run out of gas."

Photos of the rescue shared with Insider show the cruise ship maneuvering toward the smaller raft and deploying a side hatch in order to allow the migrants access to the larger boat.

Related stories

For more than an hour, passengers watched as Carnival crew members helped the migrants board the ship, where they were screened for safety measures and treated by medical staff. A spokesperson for Carnival Cruises told Insider that all 24 people were found to be in good condition, and passengers said the cruise staff provided migrants with food and water. 

"The refugees were happy and jubilant to be found," Senn said.

Passengers said they later heard from crew members and other cruisers that the migrants were Dominican and had been trying to reach Puerto Rico; the group of adults had apparently been adrift for three days by the time Carnival found them, one passenger said, citing conversations with crew members.

A Carnival spokesperson said the crew coordinates with the US Coast Guard during rescue missions

Approximately two hours after the migrants first boarded the cruise ship, the captain announced the Carnival Spirit would once again change direction, this time to meet up with a Coast Guard vessel which took charge of the migrants upon transfer, passengers said.

Coast Guard officials confirmed to WSVN-TV, a local Miami news station , that the migrants had been trying to reach Puerto Rico, though the agency did not confirm their nationality. The Coast Guard did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.

WSVN-TV reported that the Coast Guard coordinated with the Dominican Republic liaison, as well as the country's navy, which took care of the migrants as they were presumably returned to their country. 

"It makes your heart sad when you know these people are so desperate," Senn told Insider. "They're feeling the need to escape their country that they would go to such an extent."

But not everyone was apparently as moved by the migrants' plight. Sutton said she was standing near several people who expressed concerns about allowing the refugees on board while observing the rescue.

"People were not being very humanitarian toward them," she told Insider.

Sutton said she heard some passengers complaining about possibly missing or being late to their next port stop scheduled for the following day. The ship's itinerary was not ultimately impacted since the rescue occurred during a sea travel day.

Others seemed to be afraid the refugees could be dangerous, Sutton said.

But Senn, who agreed that some passengers were "grumbling" about the unplanned rescue, also said the naysayers were very much in the minority. Most of the passengers, she said, were happy to have played a role in the rescue.

"It was amazing to watch the people cheer and clap once the last person stepped onto the ship," she said. 

Though primarily designed as vacation vessels, large cruise ships often come to the aid of those in peril on the sea. Carnival's April rescue was its fifth of 2023, according to The Washington Post, and several other cruise lines have already performed similar assistance missions this year, the majority of which concerned migrants at sea.

Senn, who described herself as an "avid cruiser" of more than 50 cruises in her lifetime, said she has witnessed at least five such rescues.

"We've been on ships where we've rescued rafts in between Cuba and Florida before," she said. "We've even seen one where the raft was empty."

"It just breaks your heart," she added.

• Main content

• Travel Updates

‘Gentle soul’: Aussie Warwick Tollemache identified as man who fell from cruise ship

The girlfriend of an Aussie who went overboard a cruise ship in the Pacific says she’s devastated the search was called off.

‘It’s incorrect’: CEO blasts chopper theory

‘Screaming’: Horror find at base of lift

Passengers’ shock as pilot can’t land plane

The girlfriend of Warwick Tollemache — an Australian man who went overboard a cruise ship in the Pacific — says she’s devastated the search was called off.

The search for Mr Tollemache — a 35-year-old from Brisbane — was suspended on Friday after he fell overboard on Wednesday evening.

Brisbane woman Celina La Roche, who said she had been dating Mr Tollemache “on and off” for six years, told The Courier-Mail she still hoped he was alive.

She had earlier posted on Facebook, telling a friend on Thursday: “Warwick is lost at sea.”

“I love you, always have and always will,” she wrote above a picture of the two of them cruising together in the South Pacific last month.

“RIP my love.”

However, Ms La Roche told The Courier-Mail : “They should have kept looking – I don’t understand why they stopped the search.

“I’m just devastated.”

Mr Tollemache’s family said he would be deeply missed.

“Our family is heartbroken at the loss of our beloved Warwick,” his mother Mandy Tollemache wrote in a statement on Facebook.

“He was a kind, beautiful, and gentle soul who was adored by everyone who knew him. He will be deeply missed.

“We kindly ask for privacy during this difficult time. Thank you for your understanding.”

A friend described the tragedy as “the worst news ever”, sharing on social media that his heart was aching and he will miss Mr Tollemache dearly.

Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs told news.com.au it was providing consular assistance to Mr Tollemache’s family.

“The Australian Consulate-General in Honolulu is working closely with local authorities,” a spokesperson said. “We acknowledge the ongoing distress for the man’s family and loved ones.”

The US Coast Guard said the difficult decision to call off the search was made after speaking with the missing man’s family and the Australian consulate.

“After reviewing all relevant information of the case and discussing it with the next of kin, the Coast Guard has made the difficult decision to suspend the active search for the passenger aboard the Quantum of the Seas ,” Kevin Cooper, a search and rescue mission co-ordinator for the Joint Rescue Coordination Center Honolulu, said in a statement.

US coast guard Ryan Fisher told Sky News Australia the search was suspended “pending any new information”.

Mr Tollemache went overboard the cruise ship 1400km south of the Hawaii coast at about 11pm local time on Tuesday (7pm Wednesday AEST).

His disappearance happened shortly after a woman died during a medical emergency on the vessel.

However, the two incidents are not linked and the pair did not know each other.

In a statement, the US Coast Guard said the crew of the cruise ship remained on scene to search for approximately two hours before resuming its course. Six life rings were deployed.

The Coast Guard dispatched a C-130 Hercules aircrew from its base on Barbers Point, Hawaii, on Thursday morning (AEST) to help with the search and aircrew completed five searches over the course of six hours.

“After six hours on scene, the crew returned to Air Station Barbers Point for fuel replenishment,” an earlier statement said. “The search will resume at first light Thursday morning (Friday AEST).”

Mr Fisher confirmed on Friday while this was the intention the search did not resume.

The Royal Caribbean Quantum of the Seas ship was two days from reaching its port in Hawaii when tragedy struck on Wednesday – 15 days after the vessel departed from Brisbane docks.

“While on its trans-Pacific sailing, a guest on-board Quantum of the Seas went overboard,” a Royal Caribbean spokesperson told news.com.au.

“The ship’s crew immediately launched a search and rescue operation and is working closely with local authorities.”

The cruise line’s captain immediately brought the ship to a halt following the news, with staff launching a search and rescue operation.

There were reports early on Thursday that the missing man was the partner of someone who died on the ship following a medical emergency.

However, news.com.au has confirmed that the medical emergency and the man going overboard were two isolated incidents – and the pair were not known to each other.

A Royal Caribbean spokesperson said: “Out of respect for the family, we will not share further details about this unfortunate event.”

2GB breakfast host Ben Fordham read a passenger’s email from on-board the ship.

“Some saying cameras on deck saw [a man] go over. Others saying crew has confirmed the passenger did go over last night and there was only so much they could do,’” Mr Fordham said, reading out the man’s email.

Melbourne man Adam Glezer, who is on the ship with his wife and four-year-old child, told news.com.au an announcement of ‘Oscar’ – meaning person overboard – was made over the intercom at about 7pm Sydney time.

“They didn’t make a big deal about it. It was mainly for staff and crew but an hour later things got more serious,” Mr Glezer said.

“They started doing announcements over the loudspeaker saying ‘potential man overboard’ and that everyone had to go back to their room.”

Mr Glezer said passengers were in their rooms for about 90 minutes before they were able to leave again.

“They were repeatedly calling for a fella on deck 12 who they called about four times,” he added. “They were telling him to go to reception but repeated it four times – they then turned the ship around to look for this fella.”

Mr Glezer described it as a “surreal” feeling as the entire ship was quiet – music turned off and everyone was confined to their rooms.

“I called Mum to let her know we are OK. After that they reopened the bars – I went down. It was just packed with people wanting to know what happened.

“I have spoken to workers who have been working on ships for years and they said they have never seen anything like this happen before.”

More Coverage

It’s not believed there were any suspicious circumstances.

The ship was due to dock in Honolulu after stopping in Tahiti in the days prior. It has since resumed its journey to the resort town Kona on Hawaii’s Big Island.

Other ships in the area have been advised to keep a lookout for the overboard passenger, after an amber alert was issued.

The boss of a man who died in a fatal helicopter crash in Cairns has spoken out to shed light on the lead up to the incident.

Passengers at an airport have been left helpless after hearing screams of pain coming from the base of an elevator.

A flight was forced to divert from its intended destination after the pilot admitted he was not qualified to land the plane.

The table below lists "events at sea" occurring after January 1, 2020, including cruise ship accidents.  It is based on media reports, passenger reports posted at on-line boards and discussion groups, and reports sent to Cruise Junkie .

• All Alaska sailings through and including June 30, 2020;
• All San Francisco sailings through 2020;
• All Carnival Radiance sailings through and including November 1, 2020;
• All Carnival Legend sailings through and including October 30, 2020.

March 6, Celebrity Silhouette, Pax dies in fall from balcany From a passenger : At around 10PM a Male passenger fell from room balcony onto the deck below, dying instantly. Ship returned to Port of Miami to disembark the body and another passenger who experienced a medical incident that same evening during dinner. Ship resumed it\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'s course today. UPDATE 8 March: After returning to Port to disembark the body and the heart attack patient, we sailed off to resume our itinerary. Last night, the captain made another announcement. Due to another two medical emergencies, we turned around and headed back to the port of Miami to disembark them this morning. Hopefully we will set sail again soon with a new itinerary. At this point, we don\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'t know what\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'s in store for us. But that\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'s ok. We have a beautiful balcony stateroom, great food, a beautiful spa to take advantage of, wonderful staff to take care of us, and of course, a beautiful ship to explore.

Events 2019  

• CruiseMapper
• Cruise news
• Crew missing from Carnival Dream ship during Western Caribbean...

Crew missing from Carnival Dream ship during Western Caribbean cruise from Texas

A female crew member from CCL-Carnival Cruise Line ’s Carnival Dream has been declared missing at sea after she failed to report for duty on Friday, August 9th. The incident occurred while the vessel was en route from Cozumel (Mexico) to Galveston (Texas USA) . Following an extensive onboard search, maritime authorities were alerted to what is believed to be a man overboard situation.

The crew member is presumed to have gone overboard ~2:30 a.m. on Friday as the ship navigated the waters of the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea. Details surrounding the incident remain limited, with no confirmation as to whether anyone witnessed her fall or noticed her absence beforehand.

The head of Yucatan’s Harbormaster Office, Frigate Captain Jose Antonio Solano Claustro, is overseeing the ongoing search and rescue operations, with both the U.S. and Mexican Coast Guards involved. Authorities have called on the maritime community to stay vigilant and report any relevant information to local harbormaster offices.

The Carnival Dream is currently on an 8-night roundtrip voyage from Galveston, with scheduled stops in Florida and the Bahamas.

For more Carnival Dream incidents and accidents see the ship's CruiseMinus page .

Search called off after British tourist lost at sea on Croatian cruise

The search for a missing British tourist who fell from a cruise ship in the Adriatic Sea has been called off.

Searchers spent four days looking for the traveller , who has not been named but is believed to be a man, after they went missing in the early hours of Friday from the Royal Caribbean 's Explorer of the Seas.

Local reports said he fell from the luxury boat near Jabuka, an island off the coast of Croatia, as it made its way to the resort of Zadar. 

Another passenger, Nicole Bullock, said she was woken up by an emergency message after the tourist vanished.

Writing online, she said: “Woken up on the cruise ship around 3.40am to the emergency message'"Oscar Oscar Oscar off the port side". Man overboard.”

She said the Croatian coast guard was assisting with the search and the planned stop in Zadar was cancelled because of the “heartbreaking situation”.

The President of the Croatian Sea Captains association said:  “Since the man has been in the sea for over 40 hours, we are already losing hope. We would all like him to be found, but 40 hours is a very long time and we are losing hope that this search will end successfully.”

Six years ago, a British woman survived after spending 10 hours in the sea after falling from the back of a Norwegian Cruise Line ship as it sailed 60 miles off the Croatian coast on its way to Venice.

Kay Longstaff said she felt “very lucky” to have survived the ordeal and thanked her “wonderful” rescuers as she was taken to a hospital in the Croatian town of Pula.

She told Croatian news channel HRT: “I fell off the back of the Norwegian Star and I was in the water for 10 hours, so these wonderful guys rescued me.”

She added: “I am very lucky to be alive. I was sitting at the back of the deck.”

To receive the best stories in your inbox every day, click here to register for one or more newsletters from The Standard.