A female passenger in her 20s tragically plunged to her death from the MSC Virtuosa, a vast cruise ship, near the Channel Islands early on Saturday, October 12, 2024, authorities confirmed.
The event unfolded on the MSC Virtuosa, a colossal ship hosting over 6,000 travelers, on a voyage from Portugal to England. The French Coast Guard reported that the young woman went overboard shortly after midnight.
A distress call was relayed by the MSC Virtuosa shortly after the incident happened near Les Casquets rocks, to the west of Alderney. French rescue teams were swiftly activated, with a French Navy H160 helicopter being dispatched from Maupertus-sur-Mer to aid in the search and rescue operation.
The voluntary Channel Islands Air Search team announced in a Facebook post, that they were summoned early in the morning to assist Jobourg MRCC in the search for the overboard passenger. Their search aircraft, Lions’ Pride, started its mission from Guernsey around 2 a.m.
The woman was found and retrieved from the water at approximately 3 a.m. and was transferred to a rescue center in Tourlaville, France. Regrettably, she was declared dead upon arrival at the facility. The woman’s identity is yet to be revealed.
A passenger, who wished to be known only as Neil, shared his account of the unsettling event. He narrated how alarms echoed across the ship, indicating that someone had fallen overboard. “I went up along with lots of other passengers to have a look,” Neil shared. “About half an hour later the cruise director told us they were looking for a missing passenger, so we would be delayed into Southampton.”
MSC Cruises, the company that owns the Virtuosa, issued a statement expressing condolences: “This tragic event deeply saddens us, and our thoughts are with the family during this difficult time. Out of respect for their privacy, we will not be providing further details.”
Both French and British authorities are now investigating the incident. The MSC Virtuosa, registered in Malta, is one of the world’s largest cruise ships, measuring over 1,000 feet in length and capable of accommodating more than 6,300 passengers and 1,700 crew members. It docked in Southampton on Saturday morning, where officials continued their inquiries into the woman’s death.
Witnesses described the somber atmosphere that enveloped the scene. Passengers were asked to keep the young woman in their thoughts. The tragedy left many onboard the ship deeply affected as what was supposed to be an ordinary sea voyage took a heartbreaking turn.
