'Miraculous' Rescue: Man Saved in Ocean 22 Hours After Falling From Cruise Ship
A Norwegian Cruise Line employee was rescued Sunday after falling overboard and spending 22 hours in open water off the coast of Cuba.
The 33-year-old unidentified male employee was rescued by a ship with another cruise line, the Carnival Glory, at about 2:15pm on Sunday, Carnival said. One of Carnival's crew members happened to spot the man in the water and the ship turned around for him, lowering a lifeboat to bring him on board. He was found about 21 miles north of Cuba.
The man was given a medical evaluation once on board the Carnival ship. He is currently in stable condition, according to the US Coast Guard, and he will be dropped off in Cozumel, Mexico, Carnival's first port of call, for further treatment.
The rescue is even more astounding because of the length of time the man was in the water -- about 22 hours. Even in the warm water off of Cuba, which is roughly 80-85 degrees this time of year, overexposure and exhaustion can set in after just a few hours. In water of 70-80 degrees Fahrenheit, the average person has three to 12 hours before exhaustion and unconsciousness set in, making the expected survival time anywhere from just three hours to an indefinite amount of time.
"When the waters are above 25 degrees C (77 degrees Fahrenheit), there's a saying that the problem goes from cold to shark," Mike Tipton, a professor at University of Portsmouth and co-author of the book, Essentials of Sea Survival, told The Telegraph. Although the chances of a shark attack in that situation are still relatively rare.
Survival in the water is about monitoring your energy and core temperature levels, Tipton said. "Don't thrash about as that uses heat and energy; try to stay still and float," he told The Telegraph. He recommends that victims tie any flotation device to their bodies because hands lose their dexterity the longer they are in the water. If you don't have a flotation device, curl up into a fetal position.
If you are in cold water, try not to move as much because that leads to a faster drop in body temperature.
"Keep a positive mental attitude and don't give up," Tipton said. "Just remember not to relax, even when you're being rescued."
Surprisingly, about 20% of overboard deaths happen right as the person is being rescued because they relax and begin to drown.
Norwegian reported the crew member missing from its Norwegian Getaway ship, which was sailing to Miami from Cuba, on Saturday afternoon. The cruise line stopped the ship and conducted a search along with the US Coast Guard that covered 1,630 square miles, but the search was called off when night fell on Saturday.
"We apologize for disturbing you at this moment, but it's time to give you an update on our situation," Norwegian alerted passengers on board Getaway. "We have now decided to stop the search for our crew member and this is also made in cooperation with the US Coast Guard. ... We feel we have covered the area quite well and unfortunately we could not find anything."
Carnival called the chance rescue a miracle.
"This is nothing short of miraculous," the president of Carnival Cruise Line, Christine Duffy said. "Kudos to the Carnival Glory team for this amazing effort to rescue a fellow seafarer."
"Thankfully, the crew member was found by Carnival Glory and is reported to be in stable condition. We are so happy to know that the individual is safe and will soon be reunited with friends and family," Norwegian said in a statement.
In March, a similar situation occurred when a Norwegian cruise ship sailing near the Bahamas had a female passenger fall overboard, but the ship's crew was able to find her immediately and pull her back on board for medical attention.
H/T: ABC News
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| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
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There’s a lot to love about the Amex Gold. It’s a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic bonus-earning rates at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. If you’re hitting the skies soon, you’ll also earn bonus Membership Rewards points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash annually (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders, card must be added to Uber app and you can redeem with any Amex card), up to $120 in annual dining statement credits to be used with eligible partners, an up to $84 Dunkin’ credit each year at U.S. Dunkin Donuts and an up to $100 Resy credit annually, there’s no reason that foodies shouldn’t add the Amex Gold to their wallet. These benefits alone are worth more than $400, which offsets the $325 annual fee on the Amex Gold card. Enrollment is required for select benefits.Pros
- 4 points per dollar spent on dining at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (on the first $50,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter and $25,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter, respectively)
- 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with the airline or with amextravel.com
- Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
- Solid welcome bonus
Cons
- Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
- Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
- You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
- Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.