A Royal Caribbean cruise ship employee has been rescued after being found treading water nearly 20 miles off the California coast by two fishermen returning from a trip near Catalina Island.
Sean Norton and Grant Garrett spotted the man on Friday morning as they headed back to Newport Beach. They had been fishing for marlin before abandoning their lines and stopping to help.
“I’m like, ‘Yeah, it’s a human being. Stop the boat; let’s get all of our lines in,’” Mr Garrett said, recalling the moment the vessel’s captain saw the man in the water.
The fishermen pulled him aboard by each taking one of his arms. “He was in total shock,” Mr Norton said.
When the man recovered, he told them he was a pianist on Royal Caribbean’s 14-deck Ovation of the Seas. “The only thing he said to me was, ‘Thank you. I thought I was gonna die,’” Mr Norton said.
The crew issued an emergency maritime call after the rescue, prompting Newport Beach lifeguards to respond. Battalion Chief Adam Yacenda said the man had been found about 15 to 20 miles offshore, in the middle of the Pacific Ocean.
Authorities believe he may have gone overboard from the cruise ship about nine hours before he was found. He was taken to hospital and is expected to survive, according to the US Coast Guard, which is investigating the incident and how he entered the water.
Mr Norton said the water temperature had helped the man survive. “This guy was in the water for probably 10 hours, but the water’s 76 degrees,” he said. “A different year, no way he makes it.”
The man has not been identified. A Royal Caribbean Group spokesperson said the company was providing support and assistance to its crew member, adding that it had no further details to share out of respect for his privacy.
