A passenger jumped to his death from the world’s largest cruise ship on the first night of a week-long voyage, authorities said.
The Coast Guard told The Washington Post that the unidentified man jumped shortly after Royal Caribbean’s new, 1,200-foot Icon of the Seas, carrying 7,600 passengers and 2,350 crew members, set sail from Florida for Honduras on Sunday morning.
“The cruise ship dispatched a rescue vessel which found the man and brought him back on board,” the Coast Guard said.
“He was pronounced deceased. Other than assisting with the search, the U.S. Coast Guard has not had significant involvement in the incident,” it added.
The Washington Post has reached out to Royal Caribbean for comment.
according to Cruise HiveAt the time of the accident, the ship was just about 300 miles from the Port of Miami.
The ship remained at anchor for approximately two hours, during which time its 2,350 crew members assisted the Coast Guard in its search and rescue mission.
The man was reportedly brought back onto the plane in serious condition but later died from his injuries.
Passengers on the ship, carrying 7,600 people, shared videos of the rescue effort, with some initially expressing shock at being alive.
Others shared the clip A rescue boat leaves the cruise ship to evacuate passengers.
The world’s largest cruise ship, Icon of the Seas, made its maiden voyage in January of this year.
The 1,200-foot-long ship has 20 decks and is the size of nearly four city blocks. The 17,000-square-foot waterpark features six waterslides and seven pools (including the 40,000-gallon “Royal Bay” pool, the largest at sea), as well as the largest ice skating rink at sea, “Absolute Zero.”
The ship also features a theatre, a carousel and over 40 restaurants, bars and lounges.
