Man dies after ‘suspicious’ plunge off cruise ship into deepest fjord in the country

The man’s body was recovered a few hours after he went overboard and was taken to hospital.

A man was confirmed to have died after going overboard while travelling on a cruise ship.

The unidentified man is believed to have been in his late 50s and was traveling with his wife on the MSC Euribia. The cruise ship was sailing through Sognefjord, known as the King of the Fjords, in Norway.

Early investigations into the incident have concluded he went overboard around 2 a.m on Thursday June 6.

A rescue helicopter, air ambulance and other rescue vessels were deployed to recover his body from the 4,3000 foot deep waters about an hour later, and he was taken to a hospital and was pronounced dead.

Video footage has also shared on social media of the rescue efforts. In a brief 30 second clip, a boat and helicopter are seen in view with it appearing to show the moment the body was found.

There are no details yet available regarding how or why the cruise passenger went overboard.

Police who spoke to a local newspaper said they are currently treating the death as suspicious and are launching an investigation.

They are intending to question the crew and obtain video surveillance from the cruise ship to paint a clear picture of what happened.

“This is coded as a suspicious death. We have several hypotheses. It could be an accident, a criminal act, or an intentional act,” the officer said.

This death marks the second time in under three months that somebody fell from the same vessel.

Cruise ship tracking data shows that the vessel is a 19 story liner and turned around in the narrow channel not long after the incident.

Despite the investigation and the tragedy, the ship is still continuing on its seven-day journey and is expected to arrive at Kiel on June 8 as normal.

UNILAD has contacted MSC Cruises for comment about the incident.

Cruise ship passengers going overboard isn’t a new phenomenon and stories of this resulting in deaths are common.

A staff member on the world's biggest cruise ship has recalled the terrifying moments that followed when a passenger 'jumped' overboard.

The man, who tragically lost his life, had been on the first night of a seven-day voyage on Royal Caribbean's new vessel, named Icon of the Seas.

Lifeboats were dispatched from Icon of the Seas following the incident, and the man was brought back on board. Sadly, he was later pronounced dead.