Person sighted overboard on Sapphire

[NewPennCruiser]

Right now we can just speculate until official word comes off the ship. Princess bridgecam shows current time and still says sailing toward Honolulu but it's still too dark too see anything. Not that we would really see anything with sunlight given their position anyway. It's approximately 10am on the east coast right now so local ship time would be 6am.

[Colo Cruiser]

[Dori Saltzman]

Here's what Princess told us:

 

No person overboard. A passenger reported they thought they saw someone in the water. As we take reports such as this seriously we mustered all passengers and crew and all were accounted for. There were also no reports from any ships in the area about a missing person.

[Pam in CA]

Thanks for the update.

 

As I posted previously, this is why the Coast Guard isn't notified immediately. :)

[Putterdude]

Nice to hear everything is OK.

We did have someone jump off the Sapphire just as she entered BC waters southbound from Alaska a few years ago...but it was a deliberate suicide. Nobody saw her go over and she wasn't noticed as missing until we arrived in Vancouver the next morning. Later when the ship's tapes were reviewed she was seen leaping, it was all very sad.

[nicster]

What a shame for the first formal night of their cruise to be disrupted like that... :mad:

[pablo222]

Thanks for the update.

 

As I posted previously, this is why the Coast Guard isn't notified immediately. :)

 

A person seen in the water is quite a bit different than someone

misplaced onboard.

 

Additionally, the only way princess could have determined that

"no one was missing from area vessels" was to contact the coast guard.

[caber]

We lost a lady overboard on Sea Princess 2010 Christmas cruise.

Calls were put out for her several times during the night. The next day was a sea day and we circled all day. A cargo ship was circling on the horizon also and we had two search and rescue aircrafts going over. We never found her.

[KevintheIrishDJ]

I had dinner with an officer of the Italian lines in the '70s. He told me it is common for someone to jump overboard the last night. I asked what do you do. He said nothing. First they rarely see them jump. It takes an hour to turn a ship around; they would be dead if they could find them.:(

 

pax et bonum,

Kevin

[dickwho]

I'm intrigued by the initial report.

 

How would you 'think' that someone went over. Were they sitting or standing on the rail, or outside the usual area that is occupied by passengers, or with a another person or group who were mucking about or acting agressively?

 

What's more, aren't most or all of their vessels fitted with cameras. So how hard is that to check?

 

From my limited experience at sea, only a couple of years in the R.A.N., if you go over, it's usually good bye, because to detect such a small object as a persons head or body in such a large and moving ocean is nigh impossible.

 

People who do this must be desperate, it's very sad really.

[jenseib]

My friend is onboard and she said she heard that their is a sailboat lost at sea right now and one thing going around is that the coast guard told them to stop and wait to see if they were needed. Not sure if this has any truth, but it was one possibility.

[Northender]

I had dinner with an officer of the Italian lines in the '70s. He told me it is common for someone to jump overboard the last night. I asked what do you do. He said nothing. First they rarely see them jump. It takes an hour to turn a ship around; they would be dead if they could find them.:(

 

pax et bonum,

Kevin

 

Well, there are two people alive today because the Captain of the Grand would not give up. :) This was about 5 years or so ago.

 

Most people were in their cabins when the Man Overboard signal was given. Believe me, it was a looong night with other ships and the Coast Guard when the two were finally spotted alive. The Captain ordered everyone to stay in their cabins, do not go out on balconies and NO talking above a whisper. Bed check was done and the Steward had to actually "see" you.

[ramrax4]

We had a man jump overboard last April. He jumped from the serenity deck in the afternoon, we were 800 miles from Hawaii. Someone quickly threw over a life ring which activated the GPS. It took us awhile to turn the ship around, a small boat was launched and we did eventually rescue the jumper.

He had family aboard, very sad situation, this young man was obviously disturbed and needed help.

[billco]

My friend is onboard and she said she heard that their is a sailboat lost at sea right now and one thing going around is that the coast guard told them to stop and wait to see if they were needed. Not sure if this has any truth, but it was one possibility.

 

Coast Guard suspends search for missing boaters, citing possible hoax

http://www.cnn.com/2013/02/26/us/california-missing-boat-children/index.html?hpt=hp_t3

[Reina del Mar]

Way back in 1971, on TSS Reina del Mar,in the Med., a crew member jumped overboard, thinking he'd like to go for a swim! The ship circled and I have photographic evidence of him being rescued by lifeboat. He spent the rest of the cruise in the isolation hospital !!! (ship's cells)

[Pam in CA]

A person seen in the water is quite a bit different than someone misplaced onboard.

 

Additionally, the only way princess could have determined that "no one was missing from area vessels" was to contact the coast guard.

I agree with you as long as an officer can verify seeing someone the water or the sighting can otherwise be verified. In this case, someone thought they saw someone in the water and the only way to verify was to check all passengers. As it turned out, everyone was accounted for and the Coast Guard didn't need to be called to search. It's amazing what people think they see. :)

 

I was on the Coral three years ago when we were asked to participate in a search for some fishermen missing from a boat that sank. I have photos of at least five officers on the Bridge with high-powered binoculars searching in different directions. Sadly, we saw some debris and were released from the search after about three hours. The fishermen were never found. :(

[Astro Flyer]

Coast Guard suspends search for missing boaters, citing possible hoax

http://www.cnn.com/2013/02/26/us/california-missing-boat-children/index.html?hpt=hp_t3

When I heard a recording of the mayday it seemed too calm to me to be from someone in such a dire situation. Having so little emergency gear onboard particularly with children was another oddity to me but not that it couldn't happen.

 

The article said the proven percentage of hoaxes in 2011 was about 0.7% which is still too often when rescue crews are risking their lives for a hoax! :mad:

[Gbeman]

"It's amazing what people think they see. :)"

 

I was in a US Navy Battle group passing through the Mindinao straits in 1988. There had been a bit of a storm the previous two days and there were cocoanuts and palm fronds floating everywhere!

 

Drove us crazy, looked like hundreds of people in the water.

Not much sleep that night!

[ricki]

Well, there are two people alive today because the Captain of the Grand would not give up. :) This was about 5 years or so ago.

 

Most people were in their cabins when the Man Overboard signal was given. Believe me, it was a looong night with other ships and the Coast Guard when the two were finally spotted alive. The Captain ordered everyone to stay in their cabins, do not go out on balconies and NO talking above a whisper. Bed check was done and the Steward had to actually "see" you.

 

I can understand asking everyone to remain inside their cabins, but why do you think the Captain insisted that no one talk above a whisper?

 

Ricki

[crush on cruises]

I can understand asking everyone to remain inside their cabins, but why do you think the Captain insisted that no one talk above a whisper?

 

Ricki

Just a guess, maybe if someone were calling for help?

[blueflicker]

Apparently, some make it.. some don't... some do it on purpose, some are just crazy to try a 'stunt' (between baclonies)... I've also read that even with cameras all over the ship, people go missing and there is nothing caught on camera.

 

http://www.cruiseserver.net/travelpage/other/man_overboard.asp

[Salty Sea Dog]

 

It's probable that the stewards are taking the count. After Muster a couple of weeks ago, I returned to my cabin to this notice on the door. I've never seen this before but I bet they're using it for the count:

 

 

These are a double check that cabins are empty and all passengers are at Muster Stations after a GES has been sounded. They physically check each cabin. Not that I can imagine anyone sleeping through the alarm, but if you were on medication , I guess it's possible.

[whw]

The reason for not talking above a whisper is that you are likely to hear someone before you would see them

[Northender]

I can understand asking everyone to remain inside their cabins, but why do you think the Captain insisted that no one talk above a whisper?

 

Ricki

 

The reason for not talking above a whisper is that you are likely to hear someone before you would see them

 

whw is correct. They were listening for any sound that could mean "I am here - help." It was very intense and it was the crys from one of the people who went overboard that led to the rescue. They were both very lucky people. She was a swimming instructor (I believe) and treaded water for at least 5 hours. He was military and knew what to do with his clothing to keep himself afloat.

[cherylandtk]

Hi Adele---That was one heck of a night, wasn't it? I will never forget us hearing her call for help and I know you won't either. We were all very very happy to have found BOTH of them ALIVE. Up to that point there had not been many.