MIAMI — The Norwegian Jewel returned to PortMiami Monday morning, one week after a passenger fell overboard, sparking a massive search at sea.
The Jewel, which can hold about 2,300 passengers, was in the middle of a transatlantic repositioning cruise from Portugal to Miami when a man fell overboard last Monday, Oct. 20.
While details as to what led up to this incident are still unclear, passengers on board the vessel report seeing a couple in their 20’s fighting in the ship’s casino before the incident occurred.
They said the man appeared to be losing money.
The couple then returned to their cabin where other passengers report hearing a loud argument.
Soon after, around 2:30 a.m., an announcement was made that someone had fallen overboard.
Video taken by a passenger captured the moment the announcement was made and outside decks were closed.
An extensive search and rescue operation was conducted with crew members using a small search and rescue boat to search the water for any sign of the man.
But, according to the cruise line, the search was unsuccessful.
Norwegian released a statement that read in part:
“The search was unfortunately unsuccessful, and the ship was released by authorities to continue its voyage. Our team is attending to the guest’s loved ones during this very difficult time, and our thoughts and prayers are with them.”
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