A 44-year-old woman from El Salvador jumped overboard from the Royal Caribbean cruise ship Odyssey of the Seas on October 9, 2026, while sailing near the Greek island of Zakynthos in the Ionian Sea.
Greek authorities coordinated a search-and-rescue operation involving patrol boats from the Greek Coast Guard, a helicopter operated by the Hellenic Air Force, the Odyssey of the Seas, and nearby vessels, including the cargo ship MSC Rossella III. The operation lasted approximately 20 hours before the woman was located.
In the early hours of October 10, the MSC Rossella III crew spotted the woman conscious and floating
inside a lifebuoy in the sea. A light attached to the flotation device made her visible during nighttime. Greek Coast Guard personnel threw a rope, which she grasped, allowing them to pull her aboard a patrol vessel where she received first aid.
The woman told rescuers she jumped because she wanted to disembark from the ship. After rescue, she was taken to the port of Katakolo on Greece’s western coast and subsequently transported by ambulance to a hospital in Pyrgos for medical evaluation, including a psychiatric assessment ordered by a local prosecutor. The Katakolo Port Authority has launched an investigation
into the incident.
Royal Caribbean confirmed the passenger went overboard and said it immediately launched a coordinated search and rescue effort with Greek authorities. The company stated its Care Team is providing support to the woman’s family. The Odyssey of the Seas is 1,138 feet long, can carry 4,198 guests, and was on a one-week Mediterranean cruise that departed Civitavecchia, Italy, on October 4, 2026, with a scheduled return on October 11.
