Search and rescue launched after man, 20, 'jumped off' cruise ship in front of family
A 20-year-old man is reported as having 'jumped off' a Royal Caribbean cruise triggering a search and rescue mission.
On Thursday (April 4) at around 4:00am, a young man went overboard on Royal Caribbean's Liberty of the Seas as it sailed between Cuba and the Bahamas' Grand Inagua Island.
A search and rescue mission was immediately launched by the cruise line and passengers have since spoken out about the ongoing incident.
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A fellow passenger onboard the cruise called Bryan Sims told The Post that he was hanging out with the unnamed man and his brother in the hot tub 'until 3:30am'.
According to Sims, it was 'standing room only' and the passenger - who was allegedly 'pretty drunk' - was 'sat right beside [him] the whole time'.
He continues: "As we were walking from the hot tub back to the elevators, his dad and brother were walking towards us. His dad was fussing at him for being drunk, I guess.
"When we got to them, he said to his dad, 'I’ll fix this right now.' And he jumped out the window in front of us all."
Another passenger Deborah Morrison said the crew were 'alerted immediately' by the 'yelling' which erupted.
And a passenger took to Cruise Critic Community page online to write: "Currently on Liberty, heading back from Puerto Plata. Woke up last night between 2-3 and thought I heard an 'Alpha, Alpha, Alpha'. Learned this morning that it was an 'Oscar, Oscar, Oscar'.
"Other passengers said that the lifeboats had been out around the ship all morning. Later the Captain announced that the Coast Guard was taking over the search.
"At noon the Captain announced that we would be making up time and will probably only be an hour and a half late getting back to Ft. Lauderdale, we should be docking around 7:30 AM.
"My thoughts go out to all affected by this sad situation."
Morrison added the unnamed man's family appeared 'horrified' and were 'beside themselves'.
Sims similarly describes the experience as 'just surreal'.
A Royal Caribbean spokesperson told the Post: "The ship’s crew immediately launched a search and rescue effort alongside the US Coast Guard, who has taken over the search."
And when other guests onboard the ship woke up, many offered to help, with passenger Amy Phelps Fouse saying: "The early morning was definitely somber as so many people came out of their cabins to stare at the sea, hoping to be able to aid in finding the person."
She added: "Royal Caribbean has been excellent at communicating updates throughout the day. They have asked that people act with compassion in light of the tragic situation."
The Royal Caribbean spokesperson added: "Our Care Team is providing support and assistance to the guest’s family during this difficult time. For the privacy of the guest and their family, we have no additional details to share."
The search and rescue mission is reported as taking place in the sea around Cuba.
The US Coast Guard confirmed to The Post that the mission is ongoing as the man has yet to be discovered.
UNILAD has contacted Royal Caribbean and the Coast Guard for comment.
Topics: Mental Health, Royal Caribbean, Travel, World News, Health
Poppy Bilderbeck