Cruise Ship Pianist Rescued After 9 Hours Overboard in Pacific
A pianist who works aboard Royal Caribbean's Ovation of the Seas cruise ship survived about nine hours in the Pacific Ocean after going overboard off the Southern California coast, and two fishermen are being credited with saving his life.
The 37-year-old man, whose name has not been released, was found treading water on Friday about 20 miles off Newport Beach, near Catalina Island, The Daily Beast reported. The U.S. Coast Guard confirmed he needed to be hospitalized but said he is expected to survive. His hometown and nationality have not been released either.
"It's a Human Being"
Newport Beach fishermen Sean Norton and Grant Garrett were out fishing for marlin near Catalina Island when their boat's captain spotted something in the water around midday.
"I'm like, 'Yeah, it's a human being. Stop the boat; let's get all of our lines in,'" Garrett told CBS News.
The crew stopped the boat and pulled the man aboard. "Grant and I each got an arm and lifted him up," Norton said, adding that the man "was in total shock." He later recovered somewhat after being pulled aboard, Ynet News reported.
The man told the fishermen he was a pianist on Royal Caribbean's Ovation of the Seas, which was sailing from Long Beach, California, to Ensenada, Mexico. According to Norton, the first thing he said was, "Thank you. I thought I was gonna die."
Norton's fishing crew made an emergency maritime call, and Newport Beach lifeguards responded and took the man for medical care.
Nine Hours Alone at Sea
Newport Beach lifeguard Battalion Chief Adam Yacenda said the man may have gone overboard around 2:30 a.m. That means he was likely in the water for roughly nine hours before he was found, according to Ynet News.
Yacenda described the rescue site as "pretty much in the middle of the ocean." Reports put the location somewhere between 15 and 20 miles offshore.
It is still unclear how the man ended up in the water. The U.S. Coast Guard is investigating the circumstances.
Did El Niño Save His Life?
Norton believes unusually warm ocean temperatures may have played a big role in the man's survival. He said the water was about 76 degrees Fahrenheit.
"You have this crazy super El Niño year. This guy was in the water for probably 10 hours, but the water's 76 degrees," Norton said, according to Wide Open Country. "A different year, no way he makes it."
El Niño is a natural warming of the tropical Pacific that happens every two to seven years and can affect weather around the world. The current event began earlier this year and is expected to last into 2027. U.S. climate officials have said it could rank among the strongest on record. Earlier this year, experts warned that El Niño could also bring more sharks to California waters.
Royal Caribbean Responds
Royal Caribbean Group confirmed the incident in a statement. "We are providing support and assistance to our crew member during this difficult time," the company said. "To respect the privacy of our employee, we have no additional details to share." The cruise line did not say whether the ship turned back to search for him or how long it took for anyone on board to notice he was missing.
Not every overboard emergency ends this way. In September, the Coast Guard suspended its search for a Carnival cruise passenger who was lost at sea.
For the fishermen, a routine day on the water turned into a life-saving mission, and for the pianist, a second chance after hours alone in the open ocean.
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