A Royal Caribbean cruise ship employee was discovered treading water nearly 20 miles off the coast of Newport Beach, California, on Friday in early November 2026. The discovery occurred during a fishing trip near Catalina Island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean.
Local Fishermen Rescue Royal Caribbean Employee
Fishermen Sean Norton and Grant Garrett spotted the man while fishing for marlin. Garrett ordered the captain to stop and retrieve all fishing lines, saying, “I’m like, ‘Yeah, it’s a human being. Stop the boat; let’s get all of our lines in.'” Norton and Garrett each grasped an arm and lifted the man aboard. “Grant and I
each got an arm and lifted him up,” said Norton. The individual identified himself as a pianist aboard the 14-deck Royal Caribbean ship Ovation of the Seas. Norton said the man told them, “Thank you. I thought I was gonna die.” The man had been treading water for approximately nine to ten hours before the rescue.
Emergency Response and Investigation
After the fishermen’s rescue, an emergency maritime call was issued, to which Newport Beach lifeguards responded. Battalion Chief Adam Yacenda confirmed the rescue location was about 15 to 20 miles offshore. The U.S. Coast Guard reported the man was hospitalized and is expected to
survive. The Coast Guard is investigating how the employee went overboard.
Survival Conditions and Official Comments
Sean Norton attributed the man’s survival to the unusually warm water temperature of approximately 76 degrees Fahrenheit during a “crazy super El Niño year.” Norton said, “A different year, no way he makes it.” Royal Caribbean has not issued any public comment regarding the incident.
