Cruise Ship Pianist Rescued After Nine Hours in Pacific Off Catalina
Two fishermen found a Royal Caribbean pianist treading water about 20 miles off California after he fell from the Ovation of the Seas. Officials believe he spent nine hours in the Pacific. He is in stable condition, and the Coast Guard is investigating.
A cruise ship pianist rescued from the Pacific Ocean is in stable condition in hospital after two fishermen found him treading water about 20 miles (32km) off the California coast near Catalina Island. Officials believe the Royal Caribbean employee had been in the water for roughly nine hours.
The man has not been identified. The US Coast Guard said it is investigating how he went overboard.
How the rescue unfolded
Sean Norton and Grant Garrett were returning from a fishing trip when they spotted the man. They had spent the morning fishing for marlin, and by noon they had pulled him from the water.
"I'm like, 'Yeah, it's a human being. Stop the boat; let's get all of our lines in," Garrett said, recalling the moment the boat's captain first saw him.
The man told the fishermen he was a pianist on the Ovation of the Seas, a 14-deck Royal Caribbean ship. Norton said he said little else. "The only thing he said to me was, 'Thank you. I thought I was gonna die,'" Norton said.
The crew then sent an emergency maritime call. The Coast Guard said it received a report from "a Good Samaritan who recovered a conscious individual from the water." The man was handed over to Newport Beach Lifeguards, who confirmed he worked on the Ovation of the Seas.
Warm water and survival
Lifeguard officials believe he fell overboard at around 02:30, about nine hours before he was found. Newport Beach Lifeguard Battalion Chief Adam Yacenda said the man was 15 to 20 miles offshore, "pretty much in the middle of the ocean."
Norton credited unusually warm water for his survival. "You have this crazy super El Niño year. This guy was in the water for probably 10 hours, but the water's 76 degrees," he said, which is about 24C. "A different year, no way he makes it."
Scientists monitoring the Pacific say the developing El Niño, a climate pattern that warms the ocean, is now the strongest on record. They put ocean temperatures about 3.05C above average.
Cruise line response
A Royal Caribbean Group spokesperson said the company is helping the employee. "We are providing support and assistance to our crew member during this difficult time," the spokesperson said. "To respect the privacy of our employee, we have no additional details to share."
The Coast Guard has not said how the man fell from the ship. Its investigation into the circumstances is continuing.
