Royal Caribbean pianist rescued after nine hours in Pacific Ocean

Two Newport Beach fishermen found a Royal Caribbean cruise ship employee treading water nearly 20 miles off the California coast on Friday, according to CBS Los Angeles.

Sean Norton and Grant Garrett were fishing for marlin in the morning when they spotted the man in the water while returning home from a fishing trip near Catalina Island. By noon, they had rescued him.

"I'm like, 'Yeah, it's a human being. Stop the boat; let's get all of our lines in," Garrett said, recalling the moment the boat's captain spotted the man.

"Grant and I each got an arm and lifted him up," Norton said. "He was in total shock."

The man identified himself as a pianist on the 14-deck Royal Caribbean cruise ship called the "Ovation of the Seas." His name has not been revealed.

"The only thing he said to me was, 'Thank you. I thought I was gonna die,'" Norton said.

After pulling him from the water, the fishermen put out an emergency maritime call, and a group of Newport Beach lifeguards responded to help.

"It was approximately 15 to 20 miles offshore, pretty much in the middle of the ocean," Battalion Chief Adam Yacenda said.

Authorities believe the man may have gone overboard from the ship about nine hours before he was found. The man was hospitalized after the ordeal and is expected to survive, according to the U.S. Coast Guard, which is investigating the incident and how he went overboard.

Norton said the rescue occurred during what he described as a "crazy super El Niño year." He said the man was in the water for probably 10 hours, but the water was 76 degrees. "A different year, no way he makes it," Norton said.

In a statement to CBS LA, a Royal Caribbean Group spokesperson shared, "[w]e are providing support and assistance to our crew member during this difficult time. To respect the privacy of our employee, we have no additional details to share."

The Independent reported that the Coast Guard confirmed to it that a "conscious individual" was rescued from the water. The Independent has reached out to the Newport Beach Fire Department for comment.

Sources

This article was drafted with AI assistance and checked against the sources above. Company claims are reported as claims. Cover image is AI-generated.