A pianist from the crew of the cruise ship Ovation of the Seas has been rescued after apparently spending around nine hours in the waters of the Pacific Ocean off Catalina Island, California. The man was found by fishermen Grant Garrett and Sean Norton approximately 15–20 miles from the shore.
The two men were returning to Newport Beach after fishing for marlin when they spotted a person in the water. They stopped the boat, reeled in their lines and pulled him aboard. After regaining consciousness, the man told them that he worked as a pianist on Royal Caribbean’s 14-deck ship.
“Thank you. I thought I was going to die,” the rescued man said, according to Sean Norton’s account.He likely fell overboard during the night
The U.S. Coast Guard received a report from a civilian who had pulled a conscious person from the water. Later, rescuers from Newport Beach took charge of the man and transported him for medical treatment.
According to preliminary information, he likely fell overboard at around 2:30 a.m. This means he may have been in the water for approximately nine hours before being spotted by the fishermen. The exact circumstances surrounding the incident are still being clarified.
The pianist’s identity has not been made public. The Coast Guard said he was hospitalized in stable condition. Royal Caribbean Group confirmed that it was supporting its employee but declined to disclose further details, citing his privacy.
The investigation continues
Sean Norton believes that the relatively warm water may have helped the man survive. The fisherman estimated the temperature at around 24 degrees Celsius, but this was a personal assessment rather than an official conclusion by the rescue services.
The U.S. Coast Guard is investigating how the employee ended up in the water. So far, there has been no publicly released information on whether the fall was witnessed by crew members or passengers aboard the cruise ship.
Sources: cbsnews.com, marica.bg