Passenger falls overboard from Icon of the Seas

An unidentified guest went overboard while cruising on Royal Caribbean’s Icon of the Seas, the world’s largest cruise ship. The incident occurred during a 7-night sailing departing from Miami, Florida, with the ship en route to Roatan, Honduras. Passengers reported the event on social media as it unfolded on May 26, 2024. The ship was sailing north of Cuba when the man went overboard into the Gulf of Mexico, prompting a swift rescue mission.

Videos shared online showed a small rescue boat launched from Icon of the Seas to search for the overboard guest. The ship halted its course for approximately two hours while crew members conducted the search and rescue mission. The captain informed guests that the man was successfully recovered and receiving medical care onboard. The current status of the individual remains unclear, with differing reports online.

Overboard incidents are rare but do occur occasionally, with a decline in such incidents reported over the past decade according to data from the Cruise Line International Association. While most overboard incidents do not have successful outcomes, there have been instances of survival, such as a man who survived a fall from a Carnival cruise ship in 2022. The incident on Icon of the Seas did not alter the ship’s itinerary, with the vessel on schedule to arrive at its next port of call.

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