Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) halted a search and rescue operation hours after a male passenger reportedly went overboard.
The cruise line received news of a 51-year-old passenger who had gone into the water at around 3 pm on December 26. At the time, Norwegian Epic was traveling from Ocho Rios, Jamaica to Nassau, Bahamas.
An NCL spokesperson reported that overboard protocols were instantly launched. “The authorities were immediately notified, and a search and rescue operation under the guidance and oversight of the Bahamas Rescue Coordination Center went underway,” shared the representative.
The ship marked its position with a flare while several passengers kept watch over the water hoping to spot the missing guest. Another cruise ship in the area, Holland America Line’s Zuiderdam, also lent assistance.
“We are officially on a rescue mission. Man overboard from the Norwegian Epic,” wrote one passenger on Facebook. “The Zuiderdam was asked to help in the search. Both ships are working grid patterns and a lot of passengers are at the rails keeping their eyes out.”
Both vessels were in the middle of Western Caribbean sailings when the incident occurred. Since the man went overboard in the middle of the afternoon, search parties only had a few hours of daylight left.
Norwegian Epic was eventually permitted to resume its journey minus one guest. “After an extensive search that was unfortunately unsuccessful, the ship was released by the authorities to continue its voyage,” NCL revealed.
The cruise line added that the missing passenger was traveling with a large group that included his family and they are now receiving support.
Norwegian Epic left Port Canaveral on December 21 and will return on December 28. Its weeklong itinerary includes visits to Cozumel, Grand Cayman, Ocho Rios, and Great Stirrup Cay, the cruise operator’s 268-acre private resort in the Bahamas.
As of December 12, 18 overboard incidents have been reported in 2024. Since a crew member went overboard from Royal Caribbean’s Vision of the Seas on December 21 and a woman intentionally jumped from Princess Cruises’ Sky Princess on December 23, the year’s tally is now up to 19 man overboard incidents.
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