A 48-year-old Austrian passenger suffered a cardiorespiratory arrest while taking advantage of an overnight stay on ‘Mein Schiff 7’ to explore the city.
Police rule out the possibility of a crime.
The 14-day cruise through the Canary Islands and Madeira ended tragically for a passenger on the ship ‘Mein Schiff 7’ who suffered a sudden, fulminant illness while strolling in Funchal.
A group of passengers took advantage of the overnight stay in Funchal on the German ship, operated by TUI, to explore the city and enjoy the mild climate that characterizes the region. The moment of relaxation turned into a nightmare when one of the cruise tourists, a 48-year-old Austrian man, felt unwell and collapsed, unresponsive.
The alert to the Regional Civil Protection Service was given last night by a friend of the victim who was on Rua do Favila. When the emergency services arrived at the scene, they found the victim in cardiorespiratory arrest and were unable to reverse the situation.
The PSP (Portuguese Public Security Police) was on site investigating the incident and collecting evidence, but found no signs of a crime or the involvement of third parties in the death, presuming it resulted from a health problem.
The cause of death will be duly determined during an inquiry and after the case is forwarded to the Austrian consular authorities, through the mediation of the operators.
The ‘Mein Schiff 7’ is undertaking a 14-day voyage through the Canary Islands and Madeira, with a stop in Morocco (Agadir). The cruise began on November 17th in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, then passed through Morocco, Lanzarote, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, San Sebastian de la Gomera and Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, from where it arrived in Funchal yesterday at 6 am, with 2,853 passengers and 1,039 crew members.