Body recovered after search for passenger feared overboard from cruise ship off Scotland
A body has been recovered after a major search for a passenger feared to have gone overboard from a cruise ship in the North Sea
A body has been recovered after a major search for a passenger feared to have gone overboard from a cruise ship in the North Sea off the east coast of Scotland. The alarm was raised at 08:35 on Saturday, when the man was reported missing aboard Ambassador Cruise Lines vessel MS Ambition, about 36 nautical miles from Arbroath.
The ship was on its return to Dundee from a solar eclipse cruise that had taken it to Iceland and the Faroe Islands. It had already called at Lerwick before heading back to Scotland’s east coast city.
Air and sea teams joined the hunt
Lifeboats, coastguard crews and aircraft were sent out in rough coordination as the search widened across the North Sea. Coastguard planes from Prestwick and Carlisle were scrambled, alongside a commercial search-and-rescue helicopter.
Crews from Anstruther and Broughty Ferry joined coastguard teams based in Dundee, Arbroath and St Andrews. The operation continued before the vessel docked in Dundee.
Shortly after, Police Scotland said formal identification of the recovered body was still to take place. The man’s family had already been informed.
Passengers held on board
Those aboard MS Ambition were kept on the ship for a time while the search was under way. They were later allowed to disembark at about 11:30.
BBC Scotland News reported that the passenger’s luggage was still on board and his bed had not been slept in. Small details. But they pointed to how quickly the case developed once the missing man was noticed.
The North Sea search comes after a string of recent maritime and inland rescue operations elsewhere, where swelling rivers and rough water have also forced teams to make rapid decisions about whether to continue or suspend efforts. In this case, the coastguard and lifeboat crews pushed ahead until the vessel reached port.
Police Scotland said the formal identification process remained to be completed after the recovery.
