# Woman who went overboard from Royal Caribbean ship off Greece rescued after about 20 hours at sea A 44-year-old Salvadoran passenger from Odyssey of the Seas was found alive in a lifebuoy southwest of Zakynthos, Greek authorities say. A port authority inquiry is under way. By The Signal Edition | News / World Published: 2026-10-16T22:10:00Z Updated: 2026-10-16T22:10:00Z Canonical: https://www.thesignaledition.com/article/royal-caribbean-passenger-rescued-overboard-greece-tcunln Image: https://www.thesignaledition.com/media/331a7abc6cb9d02a16317b80e5269673.jpg (Royal Caribbean cruise ship Odyssey of the Seas moored at the Port of Rhodes, Greece, in September 2024; credit: PjotrMahh1 / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0) ## Summary - A 44-year-old Salvadoran woman went overboard from Royal Caribbean's Odyssey of the Seas early on Oct. 9 in the Ionian Sea, southwest of Zakynthos. - She was found conscious in a lifebuoy early on Oct. 10 after roughly 20 hours in the water, according to the Hellenic Coast Guard. - A coast guard spokesperson said she told rescuers she jumped because she wanted to disembark. - Royal Caribbean said its crew launched a search and it was working with authorities; the Katakolo Port Authority is investigating. ## What happened A woman who went overboard from Royal Caribbean's Odyssey of the Seas in the Ionian Sea was rescued alive after roughly 20 hours in the water, the Hellenic Coast Guard said. The passenger, a 44-year-old woman from El Salvador, was found conscious and floating in an orange lifebuoy southwest of the Greek island of Zakynthos. Authorities have not released her name. [1](https://www.cbsnews.com/news/royal-caribbean-cruise-passenger-rescued-20-hours-sea-greece-coastguard/) [2](https://globalnews.ca/news/12103614/royal-caribbean-cruise-passenger-rescued-overboard/) She went into the sea early on Friday, Oct. 9, according to a Greek coast guard release reported by Gray News and Global News. People, citing The New York Times, reported that the ship's captain alerted Greek authorities at about 10:30 a.m., around three hours after she went overboard. [3](https://www.kcrg.com/2026/10/14/overboard-cruise-ship-passenger-rescued-after-20-hours-water-officials-say/) [2](https://globalnews.ca/news/12103614/royal-caribbean-cruise-passenger-rescued-overboard/) [5](https://www.aol.com/articles/cruise-passenger-rescued-nearly-24-164413000.html) ## The search and rescue The coast guard said it activated a local emergency plan. Coast guard vessels, a Hellenic Air Force Super Puma helicopter and passing merchant ships joined the search, Global News reported. AFP, via CBS News, said Odyssey of the Seas also took part, and Cruise Hive reported the ship turned back and searched for about 14 hours before resuming its voyage. [2](https://globalnews.ca/news/12103614/royal-caribbean-cruise-passenger-rescued-overboard/) [1](https://www.cbsnews.com/news/royal-caribbean-cruise-passenger-rescued-20-hours-sea-greece-coastguard/) [4](https://www.cruisehive.com/woman-found-alive-after-royal-caribbean-overboard/220315) A passing cargo ship spotted her in the dark early on Saturday, Oct. 10. People identified the vessel as the MSC Rossella III. Coast guard video shows a crew throwing her a rope as she pulls herself toward the vessel, and the coast guard said she received first aid once aboard. "She was 20 hours at sea," a coast guard officer told AFP. [5](https://www.aol.com/articles/cruise-passenger-rescued-nearly-24-164413000.html) [2](https://globalnews.ca/news/12103614/royal-caribbean-cruise-passenger-rescued-overboard/) [3](https://www.kcrg.com/2026/10/14/overboard-cruise-ship-passenger-rescued-after-20-hours-water-officials-say/) [1](https://www.cbsnews.com/news/royal-caribbean-cruise-passenger-rescued-20-hours-sea-greece-coastguard/) She was taken to the port of Katakolo and then by ambulance to a hospital in Pyrgos for medical checks, CBS News reported, citing AFP. AFP said a local prosecutor ordered a psychiatric evaluation as part of those checks. Officials have not given an update on her condition since. [1](https://www.cbsnews.com/news/royal-caribbean-cruise-passenger-rescued-20-hours-sea-greece-coastguard/) [5](https://www.aol.com/articles/cruise-passenger-rescued-nearly-24-164413000.html) ## What officials and the cruise line said Greek coast guard spokesperson George Tsapras said the woman told rescuers she jumped intentionally because she "wanted to disembark," according to People, which cited The New York Times. AFP reported the same account from a coast guard spokesperson. [5](https://www.aol.com/articles/cruise-passenger-rescued-nearly-24-164413000.html) [1](https://www.cbsnews.com/news/royal-caribbean-cruise-passenger-rescued-20-hours-sea-greece-coastguard/) Royal Caribbean Group told USA Today the ship "immediately launched a search and rescue effort" and was working with authorities, Global News reported. The company said its care team was supporting the guest's family and that it had no further details to share, citing privacy. [2](https://globalnews.ca/news/12103614/royal-caribbean-cruise-passenger-rescued-overboard/) ## The voyage and what comes next Odyssey of the Seas, which holds about 4,198 guests, was on a seven-night Greek Isles cruise that left Civitavecchia, Italy, on Oct. 4 and was due back on Oct. 11. Cruise Hive reported the ship was sailing from Mykonos to Naples when the woman went overboard, and that its Oct. 10 call in Naples was cancelled while the Oct. 11 return stayed on schedule. [4](https://www.cruisehive.com/woman-found-alive-after-royal-caribbean-overboard/220315) [3](https://www.kcrg.com/2026/10/14/overboard-cruise-ship-passenger-rescued-after-20-hours-water-officials-say/) [1](https://www.cbsnews.com/news/royal-caribbean-cruise-passenger-rescued-20-hours-sea-greece-coastguard/) The Katakolo Port Authority opened a preliminary investigation, Global News and People reported. No charges have been reported, and authorities have not said publicly what the inquiry will examine or when it will conclude. [2](https://globalnews.ca/news/12103614/royal-caribbean-cruise-passenger-rescued-overboard/) [5](https://www.aol.com/articles/cruise-passenger-rescued-nearly-24-164413000.html) ## Reporting sources 1. [CBS News: Royal Caribbean cruise passenger who went overboard rescued after she spent 20 hours at sea, Greek coast guard says](https://www.cbsnews.com/news/royal-caribbean-cruise-passenger-rescued-20-hours-sea-greece-coastguard/) (2026-10-14) 2. [Global News: Royal Caribbean cruise passenger rescued 20 hours after going overboard](https://globalnews.ca/news/12103614/royal-caribbean-cruise-passenger-rescued-overboard/) (2026-10-15) 3. [KCRG (Gray News): Overboard cruise ship passenger rescued after 20 hours in the water, officials say](https://www.kcrg.com/2026/10/14/overboard-cruise-ship-passenger-rescued-after-20-hours-water-officials-say/) (2026-10-14) 4. [Cruise Hive: Woman Found Alive After Royal Caribbean Overboard](https://www.cruisehive.com/woman-found-alive-after-royal-caribbean-overboard/220315) (2026-10-10) 5. [People via AOL: Cruise Passenger Who Was Rescued After Nearly 24 Hours in Sea Reveals Why She Jumped from Ship](https://www.aol.com/articles/cruise-passenger-rescued-nearly-24-164413000.html) (2026-10-16)