A man who fell from a Royal Caribbean cruise ship off the coast of Cozumel, Mexico, has been rescued from his nearly-fatal ordeal by a Disney cruise ship, Mexican authorities say. The man – whose name has not been released – spent a total of five hours completely stranded in ocean waters.
“The man was traveling in the Oasis (of the Seas). It was early in the morning. He doesn’t remember how he fell,” said Cozumel Port Captain Alfonso Rodríguez. “Fortunately, another cruise, the Disney Magic, saw him.”
“At 7:31 a.m. a passenger aboard Disney Magic reported a man in the water. The passenger had thrown multiple lifesavers in the water to help him,” Rodriguez added. “They rescued him and gave him medical attention.”
The 22-year-old U.S. citizen was taken to a local hospital and was in good condition before he was taken back to the United States via air travel, Rodriguez said.
Scott Campbell, a passenger on the Disney Magic, told American news network ABC he had been on his balcony when he heard the man shouting “somebody help me” from the water.
“Immediately my instinct took over and basically started screaming at the top of my lungs: Man overboard!” said Campbell.
As the crew gathered to launch a life boat, passengers and crew members of the Disney Magic then threw the man a life vest and ring.
Royal Caribbean closed-circuit TV video showed the man was alone on the Oasis ship Deck 5 when he went overboard at 6:07 a.m.
“There were no other guests or crew around at the time,” said Cynthia Martinez, a spokeswoman for Royal Caribbean.
Oasis of the Seas is one of the world’s largest ships, and can house more than 8,000 passengers and crew. The ship’s safety amenities include a minimum safety railing of 42 inches, as well as more than 1,000 security cameras.
“For their (passengers’) safety, we recommend that guests not lean over or climb on any railing,” said Martinez.
The enormous vessel had departed from Port Everglades, Florida, on January 3rd – Cozumel was the last port of call, Martinez said.
“This man was reborn,” Rodríguez noted, referring to the man’s fortunate and unique case. “Most people that experience that kind of fall break their neck. It’s like hitting concrete.”
