Cruise ship tourist survives 10 hours in water
August 20, 2018
A 46-year-old English woman fell off a cruise ship and spent 10 hours in the water before being rescued by Croatian coastguards.
The woman, identified only as Kay, said she was "very lucky to be alive" after falling from the stern of the Norwegian Star cruise liner on Saturday night.
"I was in the water for 10 hours, so these wonderful guys rescued me," she told Croatia's HRT news channel on Sunday after her rescue.
She appeared exhausted but unscathed by her mishap.
The captain of the vessel which rescued the woman, Lovro Oreskovic, said: "We were extremely happy for saving a human life."
The Norwegian Star cruise liner was 95 kilometers (60 miles) off the coast of Croatia when Kay fell off the boat shortly before midnight.
The Croatian rescue ship sent out to look for her found her just 1,300 meters from where she fell. She was exhausted and taken to a hospital in Pula but appeared not to have suffered any serious injury.
After searching for the woman and contacting the Croatian coastguard, the Norwegian Star was delayed getting to Venice, its next port, where hundreds of passengers were waiting.
"We are pleased to advise that the guest was found alive and is currently in a stable condition," a statement from the cruise liner announced on Sunday.
jm/aw (AP, dpa)