A man fell overboard on a Carnival Cruise ship in the Gulf of Mexico. Such episodes usually end in tragedy but not this time. The Coast Guard found him alive and well after he tread water for probably 15 hours. Watch the rescue.
The Coast Guard rescued a cruise ship passenger Thursday evening, approximately 20 miles south of Southwest Pass, Louisiana.
Watchstanders at Coast Guard Sector New Orleans received a call from the Carnival Valor at approximately 2:30 p.m. Thursday, reporting a passenger aboard the cruise ship was missing. Watchstanders then coordinated the launch of several rescue crews to begin searching.
At 8:25 p.m., a Coast Guard Air Station New Orleans MH-60 Jayhawk aircrew rescued the 28-year-old male who had fallen overboard from the Carnival Valor on Wednesday evening. The aircrew was vectored into the area by the bulk carrier CRINIS who had observed a person in the water. The Jayhawk aircrew hoisted the man onto the helicopter and transferred him to awaiting emergency medical services at the New Orleans Lakefront Airport.
“We are beyond grateful that this case ended with a positive outcome," said Lt. Seth Gross, a Sector New Orleans search and rescue mission coordinator. "It took a total team effort from Coast Guard watchstanders, response crews, and our professional maritime partners operating in the Gulf of Mexico to locate the missing individual and get him to safety. If not for the alert crew aboard the motor vessel Crinis, this case could have had a much more difficult ending.”
The man was last reported in stable condition.
Involved in the search were:
- A Coast Guard Air Station New Orleans MH-60 Jayhawk aircrew
- A Coast Guard Station Venice 45-foot Response Boat-Medium boatcrew
- A Coast Guard Aviation Training Center HC-144 Ocean Sentry aircrew
21 comments:
Drank his way in to the drink. A very sobering experience for certain.
His obvious fitness and perseverance aside, it is easier to be buoyant in salt water than in fresh.
Hopefully he had to reimburse all the expenses for finding his dumb arse.
almost won a darwin award
Nothing short of a miracle.
20 miles south of Southwest Pass is prime fishing area and is loaded with tons of sharks. He is a lucky, lucky guy. If he would have fallen near a rip line then it would have been game over in a hurry.
3:05 - You got link to substantiate that?
From experience, a fit person isn’t treading water for 15 hours, a fat person can stay afloat indefinitely.
He may have been drunk when he fell off of the boat, but I can assure you he wasn’t drunk 12 hours later when they pulled him out.
HaHa @ 7:29!
How was the video showing him waving from the water taken during daylight hours (and it’s fine-stamped around 3:30), but the article said he wasn’t rescued till 8:25 that night?
3:05-sorry for questioning you at 5:29. You are correct. Here's the answer to my own question.
"Do people float better in salt water?
You are more buoyant in salt water.
The reason for this is that sea water is denser than fresh water. The salt combines with the water molecules, giving sea water more matter per cubic inch than fresh water when the same volume of water is compared. Therefore, your body will float more easily in the sea."
Floating for 15 hours, doubtless, while singing to himself "It's time to take my drunk ass home."
I’m sorry you don’t just fall off a cruise ship. This guy was doing something stupid. It was not his time to go. The good Lord has a plan for his life.
Never, Never, Never, put a thief (Booze)in your mouth to steal your brain!
This may help folks like 5:29.
Since salt ions are heavier than water molecules, seawater is denser than freshwater. The density of seawater ranges from 1020 to 1030 kg/m3 while the density of freshwater is about 1000 kg/m3.
Because saltwater is denser (1025 kg/m3) than fresh (1000 kg/m3), objects, including humans, are better able to float in saltwater.
Wonder when they will cage in the weather decks or post multiple watch stations or each deck.
America is the most amazing and greatest country.
What an amazing commentary to how much we value life in our country, that when ONE person falls overboard the Coast Guard is on the call to save a life.
I do not take this for granted.
@3:34am
I had been on swim teams most of my life when I swam out about 1/2 mile into Mediterranean where I was able to tirelessly tread water while watching a sailing regatta. As well, part of it was travelling from high altitude fitness at home down to sea level where my blood captured more oxygen.
4:12 - How is that at all relevant? PS: You forgot to mention water temp and shrinkage.
Drown-proofing was a mandatory class, freshman year. It is possible to stay afloat with minimal energy expended, for long periods of time. The class was in fresh vs salt water, but there are also other variables like the tides and weather.
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