A tragic incident occurred early Saturday morning, October 12, 2024, when a young woman fell from a cruise ship and died near the Channel Islands, as confirmed by authorities.
The woman, in her 20s, was aboard the MSC Virtuosa, a substantial ship carrying more than 6,000 passengers on a voyage from Portugal to England. The French Coast Guard reported that she fell overboard shortly after midnight.
The MSC Virtuosa issued an emergency call shortly after the young woman fell into the sea near Les Casquets rocks, to the west of Alderney. Responding promptly, French rescue services launched a mission, with a French Navy H160 helicopter departing from Maupertus-sur-Mer to aid in the search and rescue operation.
The Channel Islands Air Search, a volunteer group, was also called out to assist in the search. According to a Facebook post by the group, their search aircraft, Lions’ Pride, left from Guernsey around 2 a.m. to join the search operation.
By 3 a.m., the young woman was found and removed from the water. She was taken to a rescue center in Tourlaville, France, where she was declared dead upon arrival. The woman’s identity has not been released.
A passenger on the ship, who requested to remain anonymous and be referred to as Neil, shared his experience of the unsettling event. He described how alarms rang out across the ship indicating that someone had fallen overboard. “I went up along with lots of other passengers to have a look,” Neil said. “About half an hour later the cruise director told us they were looking for a missing passenger, so we would be delayed into Southampton.”
MSC Cruises, the company that owns the Virtuosa, released a statement expressing their sadness over the tragic incident: “This tragic event deeply saddens us, and our thoughts are with the family during this difficult time. Out of respect for their privacy, we will not be providing further details.”
Investigations into the incident are underway by the French and British authorities. The MSC Virtuosa, registered in Malta, is one of the world’s largest cruise ships, spanning over 1,000 feet and capable of accommodating over 6,300 passengers and 1,700 crew members. It docked in Southampton on Saturday morning where officials continued their investigations into the woman’s death.
Passengers were asked to remember the young woman in their thoughts. The tragic incident cast a somber mood over those on board, marking a stark contrast to what should have been an ordinary night at sea.
