A Woman Treads Water For 10 Hours In Order To Stay Alive After Falling Off A Cruise Ship
A British woman apparently had to tread water in the Adriatic Sea for 10 hours in order to stay alive after she fell from a cruise ship in Croatia. In order to stay awake, the woman sang. Her ordeal lasted until she was sighted and rescued by the Croatian Coast Guard. Afterward, she was led to an awaiting ambulance.
Kay Longstaff, 46, was on board the Norwegian Star when she fell at approximately 11:45 p.m. local time on Saturday. CCTV footage captured the event. However, it is currently unclear as to how Kay Longstaff managed to fall off the cruise ship. Although, the Daily Mail reports that Kay may have had a row with her boyfriend before the incident, leading to speculation that she may have purposely jumped from the ship.
According to CNN, the woman, who lives in Spain, revealed her ordeal via her Twitter account.
“I fell off the back of the Norwegian Star. I was in the water for 10 hours, so these wonderful guys rescued me. I’m very lucky to be alive.”
Lovro Oreskovic, who is the captain of the ship that rescued Longstaff, revealed that the crew on board the Norwegian Star had assumed the worst.
“On the cruise liner, they thought she didn’t survive,” Oreskovic said.
“She is clearly fit. She told us she does yoga, and that as she floated in the sea she sang the whole time so that her body temperature wouldn’t fall, and to stay awake.”
Passenger falls off Norwegian Star and survives 10 hours in the sea by yoga and singing! https://t.co/Q4yuGPhNSP
— Cruise Ship Life (@CruiseShipLife) August 20, 2018
The Croatian Coast Guard began their search at 2:17 a.m. local time on Sunday according to their statement. But, it wasn’t until 9:40 a.m. that Kay was sighted. The crew of a Coast Guard patrol boat then picked up the bedraggled woman approximately 0.8 miles from the site of the incident.
Alongside the coast guard and the Norwegian Star, other nearby passenger ships, the Zadar and Celebrity Constellation, also joined in the search for the fallen woman. A patrol boat and airplane were also involved in the search mission.
A statement was issued by the Norwegian Star and indicated that Kay went overboard “as Norwegian Star made her way to Venice.”
“The Coast Guard was notified and a search-and-rescue operation ensued. We are pleased to advise that the guest was found alive, is currently in stable condition, and has been taken ashore in Croatia for further treatment. We are very happy that the individual is now safe and will soon be reunited with friends and family.”
Fellow Norwegian Star passengers were notified of the incident the next morning with an announcement being made that someone had gone overboard during the night.
