A young woman has died after falling overboard the cruise ship MSC Virtuosa on Saturday night. The tragic incident occurred near the British Channel Islands.
The 331 meter long MSC Virtuosa on the open sea. (Foto: MSC Cruises)
At around 2 a.m. British time, the alarm was raised on board the 330-meter-long ship west of Alderney to search for the woman, who, according to initial media reports, was said to be between 20 and 30 years old.
A French search and rescue service later reported that the victim had been rescued from the sea by a helicopter crew and was immediately declared dead by attending doctors.
The MSC Virtuosa was on its way to Southampton that night. It is reported that fellow passengers streamed on board after the alarm signals sounded and were informed about the situation by the ship’s management.
“We are deeply saddened by this tragic event”
The Italian ship owner MSC Cruises, based in Geneva, Switzerland, officially announced in a statement on Saturday: “A guest on board Virtuosa fell overboard on October 12th while the ship was sailing to Southampton. The body was later recovered with the involvement of authorities.”
It goes on to say in the statement: “We are deeply saddened by this tragic event. Our thoughts are with the family of the deceased at this difficult time. Out of respect for your privacy, we will not release any further details.”
The death investigation is being led by French police. Previously, a Channel Islands Air Search aircraft was sent to the scene from Guernsey, along with rescue boats from Alderney. Help came from France via rescue helicopter from near Cherbourg.
The Maltese-flagged cruise ship can accommodate up to 6,300 passengers and 1,700 crew members. According to MSC, the ship is 19 decks high and was built in France in 2020.
It is currently at Southampton docks after arriving there at around 8am.
Our QUIZ on the topic of ENGLAND
