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A 44-year-old Salvadorian woman survived nearly 20 hours in the Ionian Sea after falling overboard from a Royal Caribbean cruise ship near the Greek island of Zakynthos. A cargo ship located her on October 10, still conscious and floating inside a lifebuoy, in a rescue that drew widespread attention.
Search Operation Launched Immediately
The incident began on the morning of October 9, while the Royal Caribbean vessel sailed southwest of Zakynthos. According to the Hellenic Coast Guard, the ship activated a local emergency plan as soon as the woman went overboard. A coordinated search effort followed immediately.
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The operation involved the Hellenic Coast Guard, a Hellenic Coast Guard Patrol Vessel, a Super Puma helicopter from the Hellenic Air Force, and several passing ships. Despite the scale of the search, nearly 20 hours passed before rescuers found the woman alive.
A cargo ship participating in the search spotted the woman floating in the dark water. Crew members tossed her a rope, and footage released by the Hellenic Coast Guard shows her pulling herself toward the vessel. She was conscious throughout the rescue.
Woman Hospitalized After Recovery
After her rescue, authorities transported the woman by ambulance to a hospital for medical monitoring and examinations. Her condition at the time of admission was not specified beyond her being conscious when found.
The Katakolo Port Authority has since opened a preliminary investigation into the circumstances of the incident. Royal Caribbean also confirmed its involvement in the rescue response.
A Royal Caribbean Group spokesperson told USA Today that the ship “immediately launched a search and rescue effort” and cooperated with local authorities after the woman went overboard. The spokesperson also noted that the company’s care team was actively supporting the woman’s family. “For the privacy of the guest and their family, we have no additional details to share,” the spokesperson added.
A Second Overboard Incident in Recent Weeks
The Greek Sea rescue comes roughly one month after a separate overboard incident aboard a different cruise line. That case involved a 56-year-old man identified as Tom Gigler, who went overboard from the Carnival Panorama. The ship was sailing from Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, to Long Beach, California, at the time.
Carnival Cruise Line confirmed the incident and said the ship’s team immediately reviewed CCTV footage and notified both the U.S. and Mexican Coast Guards. The company also provided support to the family traveling with the passenger.
The U.S. Coast Guard conducted an extensive search lasting more than 41 hours before suspending the effort. Officials did not recover the man. Captain Jessica Davila, chief of incident management for the Coast Guard Southwest District, expressed condolences to the family. “Decisions to suspend search operations are never easy and are made with careful consideration of all available information,” she said. “Our hearts are with those impacted by his loss.”
The cause of the Carnival Panorama overboard incident remains under investigation. Meanwhile, the Royal Caribbean case in Greece stands out as a rare survival story, with the woman enduring nearly a full day at sea before rescuers brought her to safety.
