ZAGREB, August 20, 2018 – A British woman, 46, who fell off from the cruise ship “Norwegian Star” while it was sailing from the Istrian city of Pula to Venice in the night between Saturday and Sunday, was rescued by the Croatian patrol boat “Cavtat” at 9.40 hrs Sunday, the Croatian ministry of transport and maritime affairs has reported.
A search and rescue operation was launched at about 2.17 am Sunday as soon as the captain of the Norwegian Star ship notified the Croatian authorities about the missing passenger.
According to the Croatian ministry, it received the information that the British passenger fell off the cruise ship some 25 nautical miles southwest of Mali Lošinj, that is 45 nautical miles southeast of Pula.
The search and rescue operation was successfully finished at about half past nine on Sunday, and the rescued woman, who was found alive some 1,300 metres from the accident, is currently in stable condition. She was taken ashore in Croatia for further treatment in Pula.
The Croatian Defence Ministry, which also reported about the rescue operation, has said that the members of the rescue team were proud of having rescued her life. “In all segments of this dramatic situation we have shown that we are well trained and coordinated,” the patrol boat commander Lovro Orešković was quoted as saying.
He praised corvette lieutenant Marin Delić, a swimmer diver, who pulled out of the sea the woman who was visibly exhausted after spending some 10 hours at sea. “I am proud of my crew, and especially of Marin Delić, the rescue diver who swam out to rescue the victim, who was visibly drained from her ordeal, and brought her on deck,” Orešković said.
Local media quoted the rescued woman as saying that she fell from the Norwegian Star and spent ten hours in the water. “These wonderful men saved my life,” she told reporters.
Foreign media outlets also reported about the case.
The CNN broadcaster said that “it was unclear how the woman went overboard.”
“In the morning of August 19, a guest went overboard as Norwegian Star made her way to Venice,” according to a Norwegian Cruise Lines spokesperson.
“The Coast Guard was notified and a search and rescue operation ensued. We are pleased to advise that the guest was found alive, is currently in stable condition, and has been taken ashore in Croatia for further treatment. We are very happy that the individual is now safe and will soon be reunited with friends and family,” according to the spokesperson’s report released on the CNN web site.
The Guardian newspaper reported that the 46-year-old, who gave her name as Kay to local media and was later named Kay Longstaff in UK reports, was taken to hospital in Pula, Croatia, and is understood to be out of danger. “It is understood she fell from the Norwegian Star cruise ship about 60 miles off Croatia’s coast shortly before midnight on Saturday as the vessel was making its way from the port of Vergarola to Venice in Italy.
“The liner raised the alarm and was joined by coastguard and civilian vessels, plus a PC-9 aircraft, at about 6.30 am on Sunday. The woman was spotted at 9.40 am and reached by a rescue swimmer from a patrol boat minutes later, Croatian media reported, saying she was about 1.3km away from the spot where she fell in,” the Guardian reported.
The rescued passenger was quoted as telling the Croatian HRT broadcaster: “I am very lucky to be alive. I fell off the back of the Norwegian Star and I was in the water for 10 hours, so these wonderful guys rescued me.”
“I was sitting at the back of the deck and, yeah … it was bad,” she said before being taken into an ambulance, according to the Guardian newspaper.
