OMM Newsroom
A pianist working on a cruise ship was rescued from the Pacific Ocean after two fishermen spotted him treading water about 20 miles (32km) off the California coast, according to the BBC.
The fishermen found the “Royal Caribbean” employee near Catalina Island on Friday. US officials believe he may have been in the water for about nine hours, CBS News, the BBC’s US news partner, reported.
Grant Garrett recalled spotting the man with fellow fisherman Sean Norton. “I’m like, ‘Yeah, it’s a human being. Stop the boat; let’s get all of our lines in,’” Garrett was quoted as saying.
The man, whose identity has not been released, was taken to hospital in stable condition, the US Coast Guard told the BBC. The Coast Guard said it was investigating the incident.
The fishermen said the man identified himself as a pianist aboard the 14-deck cruise ship “Ovation of the Seas”. “The only thing he said to me was, ‘Thank you. I thought I was gonna die,’” Norton said.
In a statement, the Coast Guard said it had received a report from “a Good Samaritan who recovered a conscious individual from the water”. The man was handed over to Newport Beach Lifeguards, who confirmed he worked aboard “Ovation of the Seas”.
Lifeguard officials believe he may have fallen overboard at about 02:30, around nine hours before he was found. “It was approximately 15 to 20 miles offshore, pretty much in the middle of the ocean,” Newport Beach Lifeguard Battalion Chief Adam Yacenda told CBS.
Norton said unusually warm water may have helped the man survive. “You have this crazy super El Niño year. This guy was in the water for probably 10 hours, but the water’s 76 degrees,” he said, equivalent to about 24C. “A different year, no way he makes it,” Norton added.
Scientists monitoring the Pacific say the developing El Niño climate phenomenon is now the strongest on record, with ocean temperatures about 3.05C above average.
A spokesperson for “Royal Caribbean Group” told the BBC: “We are providing support and assistance to our crew member during this difficult time. To respect the privacy of our employee, we have no additional details to share.”
