Fishermen Rescue Cruise Ship Pianist After Hours in Pacific

Sean Norton and Grant Garrett were fishing for marlin when they spotted a person in the water around noon on November 6. They pulled the man aboard and found him in shock after what authorities estimated was roughly nine hours at sea.

The rescued man told Norton he was a pianist working aboard Royal Caribbean’s Ovation of the Seas. Norton recalled him saying, “I thought I was going to die.” The ship, a 14-deck vessel, had been scheduled to return to Los Angeles at about 7 a.m. that day.

Newport Beach lifeguards estimated the man went overboard around 2:30 a.m. and said he was found 15 to 20 miles offshore. An emergency maritime call brought lifeguards to the rescue. Coast Guard officials said the man had been transported to a hospital and was likely to recover.

Norton said the ocean temperature was about 76 degrees and suggested the unusually warm water may have helped the man survive. The Coast Guard is looking into the circumstances that put him in the ocean. Royal Caribbean Group said it was supporting the crew member and would not provide further details to protect his privacy.