British newspapers such as the Mirror and the Daily Mail report that a 76-year-old British tourist fell from a cruise ship north of the Canary Islands on Thursday morning. The Spanish online newspaper ‘Vozpópuli’ explains that the incident occurred during the crossing between Funchal and San Sebastián de La Gomera, in Santa Cruz de Tenerife.
According to news reports, police and the coast guard were mobilized after the cruise ship ‘Marella Explorer 2’ issued a ‘Man Overboard’ alert.
The incident forced the captain to interrupt navigation and activate the international ‘Man Overboard’ protocol, which includes checking surveillance cameras, launching signal rafts, circular search maneuvers, and emergency communications to the Spanish maritime authorities.
The newspaper El Dia, from Tenerife, also reports that the ship fell approximately 16 nautical miles from Punta de Teno, the northwesternmost point of the island.
The Spanish media outlet reports that the Spanish Maritime Safety Agency has launched a search operation with at least two specialized vessels. A helicopter has also been deployed to fly over the area and assist in visual tracking.
According to a coast guard spokesperson, quoted by the Daily Mail, the search continues this Friday: “The search resumed early this morning with the Helimer 201 helicopter, which will alternate with the Civil Guard helicopter.”
‘Voxpópuli’ explains that several external decks on the cruise ship ‘Marella Explorer 2’ have been closed off while security camera footage is analyzed and witness statements are collected in order to reconstruct the sequence of events that led to the crash.
The circumstances surrounding the passenger’s fall have not yet been disclosed.
The ship’s current position indicates that it arrived in Tenerife’s capital, Santa Cruz, at approximately 2:30 AM on Friday morning.
The ‘Marella Explorer 2’ arrived in Funchal at 6:30 am on Wednesday and departed the same day at 6 pm. The stopover, arranged by Agência Ferraz, involved 1,758 passengers and 759 crew members. The ship is undertaking a week-long cruise on the Cruise Atlantic Islands (CAI) route, with visits to the islands of Tenerife, Gran Canaria, La Gomera, Lanzarote, and Fuerteventura. British sailor Richard Watkins is the captain of this voyage.