A Royal Caribbean crew member who fell from the Ovation of the Seas early Friday morning survived roughly nine hours treading water before two Newport Beach fishermen pulled him aboard about 20 miles offshore, halfway between Newport Beach and Catalina Island. The ship was en route from San Pedro to Ensenada when the man, whose name has not been released, went overboard around 1:30 a.m. from the 16-deck vessel.
Newport Beach lifeguard Battalion Chief Mike Ure, a 40-year veteran, said every condition aligned for the man's survival. An El Niño pattern pushed warm Kelvin waves up the coast, raising ocean temperatures to 75 degrees at the Scripps pier in La Jolla on Monday — well above the historical November average of 63 degrees and unprecedented for this point in the season, according to National Weather Service meteorologist Kyle Wheeler.
Ure said the warm water dramatically extended the window for survival. While hypothermia becomes a threat below 70 degrees, the 75-degree water meant a person could last an hour to seven hours typically, or up to 24 hours if "super dialed in." Calm, glassy seas and sunny skies further conserved the man's energy, eliminating the exhausting fight against swells.
Fishermen Sean Norton and Grant Garrett spotted the man while returning from a swordfishing trip. Ure noted that hunting swordfish requires constantly scanning the sea surface for fins — the same vigilance needed to spot a person in the water. Norton told KABC they saw the man's head above water, flailing his hands and feet slightly to stay afloat.
The rescue defies grim industry statistics. A Cruise Lines International Association study found that only 48 of 170 people who went overboard from 2009 to 2019 — 28% — were rescued. The man was brought to shore around midday Friday in shock but expected to survive.
Sources: Las Vegas Review-Journal
Original reporting: Las Vegas Review-Journal →
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