The individual overboard from MSC Cruises’ MSC Euribia early on Thursday, June 6, 2024 has sadly succumbed to their injuries. While early reports did note that the individual – now identified as a male passenger from the cruise ship – was rescued from the water in less than an hour, he did not survive the incident.
According to Nettavisen, a variety of rescue assets were used in the operation, including a helicopter, air ambulance, civilian boats, an ambulance boat, and a fire boat.
The man was pulled from the water and transported to Haukeland Hospital in Bergen, approximately 50 miles (80 kilometers) south of the area of Sognefjord where the incident was reported.
Unfortunately, the man was pronounced dead upon arrival at the hospital. The exact cause of death has not been released, and it is unknown whether other medical conditions or unusual circumstances contributed to the overboard.
The incident has been labeled as “suspicious” but that could indicate an intentional overboard, a domestic dispute, a criminal act, an accident, or other unknown circumstances.
Water temperatures in Sognefjord are currently in the mid-50s Fahrenheit (13-14 Celsius). At that temperature, an individual in reasonably good health should be able to survive for 1-6 hours without extreme risk of hypothermia, but general health, protective gear, and physical abilities do factor into overall survival times.
Very few details about the man have been released, other than that yes, he was a passenger on MSC Euribia rather than a crew member, he is not a Norwegian citizen, and he was traveling with his spouse on the cruise ship. Local reports have noted the man was in his “late 50s.” No other passengers or crew members have been reported missing from the vessel.
Cruise lines do not often release extensive details in these situations. This lack of information is to safeguard the privacy of the individual, their family members and traveling companions, and others impacted by the incident.
Read Also: What Happens During a Cruise Ship Overboard Alarm?
Support may be made available to crew members and others onboard MSC Euribia who are affected by the situation. It can be very difficult to adapt to such a tragic incident during what should have been a happy cruise vacation.
MSC Euribia Sailings Continue
MSC Euribia was sailing a 7-night Northern Europe itinerary roundtrip from Kiel, Germany, with calls to various Norwegian ports, and the time of the overboard. That cruise ended on Saturday, June 8, and the ship has already continued on her next voyage.
While local authorities will undoubtedly conduct a full investigation into the incident – as is customary with any overboard situation. Part of the investigation will include interviews with crew members, a review of onboard surveillance and security footage, and an autopsy of the deceased. The ship does not have to pause operations while that investigation is ongoing.
The 184,011-gross-ton, Meraviglia-Plus-class MSC Euribia can welcome a total of 6,327 guests at full capacity, and has an international crew of approximately 1,700 team members.
The ship is currently sailing a variety of Northern Europe itineraries through mid-October, with departures from both Kiel and Copenhagen. After that, the ship will relocated to offer Middle East sailings in the Arabian Gulf, with departures from Dubai and Abu Dhabi and visits to the UAE, Qatar, and Bahrain. MSC Euribia will remain in the Middle East through April 2025.
