Australian man missing after falling overboard from cruise ship
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A horrible situation unfolded on board a Royal Caribbean cruise ship, which departed from Brisbane on April 12 en route to Hawaii.
Royal Caribbean has confirmed that one of their passengers had gone overboard at about 11:30 pm on Wednesday.
According to the cruise operator, the Royal Caribbean Quantum of the Seas is due to dock in Honolulu on Friday (April 28) after stopping at the island of Tahiti. This is where the nightmare began when an Australian man went overboard on the cruise ship 1,400 km south of Hawaii – 15 days after the ship departed from Brisbane.
Breaking news reports that the man who fell overboard is believed to be the partner of the passenger who passed away on the vessel following the medical emergency.
A man, together with his family, on the ship told reporters that there was a show during the night. During the festivities, the crew announced that there was a medical emergency, and the person ‘apparently passed away’.
‘About 90 minutes later, the call went out that someone went overboard, and it turned out to be the partner of the person who passed away earlier,’ he claimed.
As of writing, there is no confirmation of these claims from the cruise operator.
One of the passengers aboard the ship, Ivan Rukavina from Melbourne, confirmed hearing that there had been a medical emergency a few hours before the incident.
According to Mr Rukavina, he then heard ‘Oscar, Oscar, Oscar’ being announced over the cruise ship’s loudspeaker – a code that meant someone fell overboard.
Based on Mr Rukavina’s claims, the man fell from the 15th-story balcony, about 20 metres above his room and directly above the main pool area.
He also mentioned that it wouldn’t have been hard to jump over the glass railing.
‘If he’s jumped off mid-ship... he would have been sucked in by the motors,’ he said.
The man’s identity and how he went overboard is not yet known.
On the night of the incident, shocked passengers told reporters they were ordered to return to their cabins and ensure they were with all of their travelling companions. They were allowed to leave their rooms about two hours later.
Following the incident, rescuers attempted to lower lifeboats into the water. According to Mr Rukavina, the crew were desperately trying to turn on the lights on the lifeboats.
‘I heard someone say “there are no lights”,’ he shared. The search and rescue operation occurred for two and a half hours before the ship resumed its original course.
The US Coast Guard is believed to have taken over the search efforts.
‘That’s why our ship continued to go,’ Mr Rukavina explained.
Rescuers have deployed a Hercules aircraft with a GPS system and cameras, hoping that this will help with efforts to find the man.
‘While on its trans-pacific sailing, a guest onboard Quantum of the Seas went overboard,’ a spokesperson for Royal Caribbean told reporters.
‘The ship’s crew immediately launched a search and rescue operation and is working closely with local authorities,’ the spokesperson added.
The cruise line captain claimed the ship was immediately brought to a halt following the incident, and the staff quickly launched the search and rescue operation.
Ben Fordham, host of 2GB radio, read out emails sent by listeners who claimed to be onboard the ship and recalled the incidents during the night.
One email read: ‘Some [were] saying cameras on deck saw [a man] go over. Others say the crew has confirmed the passenger did go over last night, and there was only so much they could do.’
One man said that, at first, the cruise line didn’t make a big deal out of the situation even after hearing the ‘Oscar’ announcement over the loudspeakers.
‘They didn’t make a big deal about it. It was mainly for staff and crew, but an hour later, things got more serious,’ he shared.
He continued: ‘They started doing announcements over the loudspeaker saying “potential man overboard” and that everyone had to go back to their room.’
Some passengers reported the incident on social media and shared photos of the lifeboats being prepared for use.
‘It was pitch black. They had tossed half a dozen life vests in the water with the automatic beacons,’ one passenger noted.
‘The seas weren’t very pleasant,’ another replied.
It is not believed that the man fell overboard due to suspicious circumstances. Other ships in the area have been asked to be on the lookout for the missing man.
As of writing, no further news has been released on the incident.
We hope that the US Coast Guard is successful in their search efforts. We’ll be keeping the man's family in our thoughts and prayers.
UPDATE: The US Coast Guard suspended the search for the missing man identified as 35-year-old Warwick Tollemache on Friday, April 28. Reports say the decision was made in consultation with Australian consulate officials and Tollemache's family.
Royal Caribbean has confirmed that one of their passengers had gone overboard at about 11:30 pm on Wednesday.
According to the cruise operator, the Royal Caribbean Quantum of the Seas is due to dock in Honolulu on Friday (April 28) after stopping at the island of Tahiti. This is where the nightmare began when an Australian man went overboard on the cruise ship 1,400 km south of Hawaii – 15 days after the ship departed from Brisbane.
Breaking news reports that the man who fell overboard is believed to be the partner of the passenger who passed away on the vessel following the medical emergency.
A man, together with his family, on the ship told reporters that there was a show during the night. During the festivities, the crew announced that there was a medical emergency, and the person ‘apparently passed away’.
‘About 90 minutes later, the call went out that someone went overboard, and it turned out to be the partner of the person who passed away earlier,’ he claimed.
As of writing, there is no confirmation of these claims from the cruise operator.
Authorities are looking desperately for the man. Credit: Shutterstock
One of the passengers aboard the ship, Ivan Rukavina from Melbourne, confirmed hearing that there had been a medical emergency a few hours before the incident.
According to Mr Rukavina, he then heard ‘Oscar, Oscar, Oscar’ being announced over the cruise ship’s loudspeaker – a code that meant someone fell overboard.
Based on Mr Rukavina’s claims, the man fell from the 15th-story balcony, about 20 metres above his room and directly above the main pool area.
He also mentioned that it wouldn’t have been hard to jump over the glass railing.
‘If he’s jumped off mid-ship... he would have been sucked in by the motors,’ he said.
The man’s identity and how he went overboard is not yet known.
On the night of the incident, shocked passengers told reporters they were ordered to return to their cabins and ensure they were with all of their travelling companions. They were allowed to leave their rooms about two hours later.
Following the incident, rescuers attempted to lower lifeboats into the water. According to Mr Rukavina, the crew were desperately trying to turn on the lights on the lifeboats.
‘I heard someone say “there are no lights”,’ he shared. The search and rescue operation occurred for two and a half hours before the ship resumed its original course.
The US Coast Guard is believed to have taken over the search efforts.
‘That’s why our ship continued to go,’ Mr Rukavina explained.
The coast guard has taken over the search and rescue operations. Credit: Shutterstock
Rescuers have deployed a Hercules aircraft with a GPS system and cameras, hoping that this will help with efforts to find the man.
‘While on its trans-pacific sailing, a guest onboard Quantum of the Seas went overboard,’ a spokesperson for Royal Caribbean told reporters.
‘The ship’s crew immediately launched a search and rescue operation and is working closely with local authorities,’ the spokesperson added.
The cruise line captain claimed the ship was immediately brought to a halt following the incident, and the staff quickly launched the search and rescue operation.
Ben Fordham, host of 2GB radio, read out emails sent by listeners who claimed to be onboard the ship and recalled the incidents during the night.
One email read: ‘Some [were] saying cameras on deck saw [a man] go over. Others say the crew has confirmed the passenger did go over last night, and there was only so much they could do.’
One man said that, at first, the cruise line didn’t make a big deal out of the situation even after hearing the ‘Oscar’ announcement over the loudspeakers.
‘They didn’t make a big deal about it. It was mainly for staff and crew, but an hour later, things got more serious,’ he shared.
He continued: ‘They started doing announcements over the loudspeaker saying “potential man overboard” and that everyone had to go back to their room.’
Some passengers reported the incident on social media and shared photos of the lifeboats being prepared for use.
‘It was pitch black. They had tossed half a dozen life vests in the water with the automatic beacons,’ one passenger noted.
‘The seas weren’t very pleasant,’ another replied.
It is not believed that the man fell overboard due to suspicious circumstances. Other ships in the area have been asked to be on the lookout for the missing man.
As of writing, no further news has been released on the incident.
UPDATE: The US Coast Guard suspended the search for the missing man identified as 35-year-old Warwick Tollemache on Friday, April 28. Reports say the decision was made in consultation with Australian consulate officials and Tollemache's family.
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