United States Coast Guard crews were searching on Wednesday for an MSC Seascape cruise ship crewmember believed to have fallen overboard in the Atlantic Ocean north of Aguadilla, Puerto Rico.
According to reports, people observed the 30-year-old Indian national going overboard.
He was approximately 80 feet from the cruise ship’s bow from roughly 32 feet above the water.
On Tuesday, the U.S. Coast Guard learned of the incident from the cruise ship at about 8:57 p.m.
The vessel was en route from San Juan, Puerto Rico, to Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic.
The Coast Guard said the cruise ship reported throwing a lifeline and three life rings and launched its rescue boat to search.
A Coast Guard MH-60T Jayhawk helicopter and the Coast Guard Cutters Joseph Napier and Joseph Doyle rushed to the scene.
Once on the scene, the Coast Guard aircrew commenced searching and deployed a self-locating datum marker buoy that measures sea currents to assist with the search.
Shortly after that, the Coast Guard cutters arrived on scene.
At approximately 7:30 a.m., the Coast Guard aircrew reported locating the three life rings within the search area, and the MSC Seascape cruise ship continued its voyage to the Dominican Republic after being released from the search.
