A member of staff aboard the Regal Princess has tragically died after going overboard near Cancun, Mexico, leading to a major search and rescue mission
A cruise ship worker died after falling overboard, leading to a desperate search near Cancun.
The Regal Princess departed from Fort Lauderdale’s Port Everglades on a seven-day cruise on Saturday, and it is understood the person, whose identity has not been revealed, disappeared just before 6am on Monday off the coast of Mexico.
Images show the search and rescue operation underway after an alert was issued from the ship operated by Princess Cruises. The cruise line confirmed the person had died, having initially said that a crew member had gone missing and a search and rescue was underway.
The Regal Princess had been heading to Cozumel, a Mexican island, when passengers were given the news from the captain that a person was unaccounted for.
David Jimenez, a passenger on board, said the ship immediately began searching the area and they were assisted by another cruise ship as well as vessels form the Mexican maritime authorities.
“At times the ship slowed down and went in circles. Then they would come back and circle again,” he told CBS News Miami. “But after searching intensely for over eight hours, the cruise line confirmed the crew member had perished.”
He added the passengers were not told the identity of the crew member. “No details were given. We don’t know who he is,” he said.
David said the passengers were kept informed during the search with hourly updates and that a counselling service was put in place. “They are following procedures but kept people updated every hour,” he added.
Princess Cruises said: “Our heartfelt condolences go out to the crew’s family and friends during this difficult time. Grief support services are being offered to guests and crew members affected by this event.”
While another passenger Pam Holland Boyd wrote on Facebook about the tragedy: “FINAL UPDATE – the Captain just announced, after 7+/- hours of extensive searching by several ships & other authorities, he confirmed the passing of the crew member.
“He asked for prayers for the family. Regal Princess is also offering counseling services to anyone who feels they need to talk to someone about this loss of life. Cozumel has been added back as a port, coming back on the 16th.”
The Regal Princess has now resumed its journey with its next stop set to be in Belize.
The Mirror has contacted Princess Cruises for comment.
