A young woman, reportedly in her 20s, tragically fell overboard from MSC Cruises’ MSC Virtuosa near the Channel Islands in the English Channel on 12th October 2024.
The incident occurred shortly after midnight as the ship was travelling from the Channel Islands to Southampton, England. A distress call was made at 2 a.m., which led to immediate rescue operations.
The crew used spotlights to search the waters, and within half an hour the French navy had recovered the passenger and taken her to a hospital in Tourlaville, Normandy, where she was pronounced dead.
MSC Virtuosa was on a 14-night Northern Europe voyage. The ship had recently visited Lisbon, Portugal, and was nearing the end of its journey in Southampton.
“A guest on board MSC Virtuosa went overboard on 12 October, while the ship was sailing to Southampton. The body was later recovered with the involvement of the authorities.
“We are deeply saddened by this tragic event, and our thoughts are with the family during this difficult time. Out of respect for their privacy, we will not be providing further details.”
MSC Cruises statement
The circumstances surrounding the fall are currently under investigation. Officials are examining surveillance footage and interviewing potential witnesses to understand the events leading up to the tragedy.
Overboard incidents with MSC
In the past year, MSC Cruises has faced several unfortunate incidents of passengers and crew members going overboard.
In June 2024, a crew member from the MSC Musica went overboard while the ship was sailing through the Mediterranean.
And just prior to that, a passenger aboard the MSC Euribia fell overboard in Norway. Fortunately, the individual was rescued by helicopter and transported to a hospital for medical attention.
This marked the second such incident for the MSC Euribia within a span of three months. In March 2024, a 23-year-old Scottish passenger went missing after falling overboard during the ship’s voyage to Hamburg, Germany.
Additionally, in February 2024, an American passenger fell overboard from MSC World Europa while the ship was docked in Malta.
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Jenni Fielding is the founder of Cruise Mummy. She has worked in the cruise industry since 2015 and has taken over 30 cruises. Now, she helps over 1 million people per month to plan their perfect cruise holidays.
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