A search by the Coast Guard is underway after a 35-year-old male passenger from Brazil fell into the ocean. It appears the man lost his grip while hanging from a davit used to raise and lower the cruise ship’s lifeboat. The incident occurred at approximately 1:00 a.m. Friday morning when the ship was some 80 nautical miles northeast of Mayaguana, Bahamas.

According to the Coast Guard, it has received multiple reports of the man falling or jumping, but it has been unable to confirm whether he actually fell or jumped. Royal Caribbean released a written statement claiming that the man “was spotted by Oasis of the Seas crew members intentionally going over the side of the ship.” A video posted by CBSMiami shows the man holding onto the davit and several people trying to help him before he loses his grip and falls into the ocean. It does not show whether the man jumped or fell into the lifeboat.

The Coast Guard began its search at 4:00 a.m. this morning and was using its “algorithms and drift techniques to see exactly where he could be at now, given the drift pattern hours later, to search in that area for him.” Shortly after the incident occurred, the Oasis of the Seas remained in the area to conduct its own search, including sending out two smaller ships to assist. The ship is scheduled to return to Port Everglades on Saturday.

SOURCES:

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/local/broward/fl-man-overboard-oasis-seas-20151106-story.html
Search Underway For Man Who Fell From Ship

PHOTO CREDIT: SunSentinel.com