Brit cruise passenger ‘falls overboard’ in Adriatic near remote island as desperate search is launched
A BRITISH cruise passenger has reportedly fallen overboard in the Adriatic sea – sparking a desperate search.
Croatian authorities said “a young Brit” from the Royal Caribbean’s Explorer of the Seas ship went missing in the early hours on Friday – and hasn’t been seen since.
Several ships in the area reportedly joined the frantic search after an alarm was raised on the vessel.
One passenger on the cruise ship, Nicole Bullock, said she woke up to an emergency message blaring through the ship.
She wrote on X: “Woken up on the cruise ship around 3.40am to the emergency message ‘Oscar Oscar Oscar off the port side’. Man overboard.
“Been watching the rescue efforts off my balcony all day, hoping for a positive outcome.”
Unconfirmed reports say the apparent Brit who went overboard is a man.
The ship is reportedly on a seven day Greece-Croatia route that took off on August 3.
It is understood that a search and rescue is still being carried out near the remote island of Jabuka.
Royal Caribbean and the FCDO have been approached for comment.
A few years ago a British woman fell off a ship into the Adriatic – but she was miraculously found alive hours later.
Kay Longstaff, an air hostess, plunged into the sea from the cruise ship as it sailed to Venice from the port of Vargarola near Pula, Croatia.
The 46-year-old from Cheltenham went overboard sometime before midnight on Saturday night.
She then spent 10 hours floating at sea – later crediting her yoga training with keeping her fit enough to survive.
After the cruise ship had circled back around, the Croatian coastguard joined the search and miraculously plucked her from the sea about a mile from where she jumped.
She had reportedly spent the night drinking with her boyfriend before the two got into a heated argument.
The 46-year-old was reportedly moments from giving up when she was saved.
After her rescue, Kay had told Croatian media: “I fell off the back of the Norwegian Star and I was in the water for about 10 hours. These wonderful guys rescued me.”
A rescuer revealed how Kay told them how she survived her ordeal.
“She said the fact that she practices yoga helped her as she was fit.
“And she said she was singing to not feel cold in the sea overnight”.
Wearing just denim shorts and a top, Kay plucked from the 20C water by coastguards and taken on board a rescue boat.
Asked her name and where she was from by reporters, she replied: “Kay… from England”.
She was then treated by medics and taken to hospital in Pula where she was kept for monitoring by doctors, before being released by doctors.
A hospital official confirmed: “The British woman was brought to the hospital and her life is not endangered.”
It was understood the Brit, who was said to have signs of hypothermia when found, was later reunited with her family, who were also on the liner.