Passenger Rescued After 20 Hours in Ionian Sea Near Zakynthos
After her recovery, Coast Guard personnel brought the woman to Katakolo, where she was transferred to a hospital in nearby Pyrgos for observation and tests.
A 44-year-old passenger from El Salvador was rescued alive early on October 10, 2026, after about 20 hours in the Ionian Sea following an overboard incident aboard Royal Caribbean International’s Odyssey of the Seas. The cargo ship MSC Rossella III spotted a flashing light on her lifebuoy about 70 nautical miles southwest of Zakynthos, helping a Greek Coast Guard vessel locate and recover her.
Odyssey of the Seas joined the search and cancelled its scheduled Naples call before resuming its voyage to Italy.
The woman was conscious when recovered. Coast Guard personnel administered first aid and brought her to Katakolo, on the western Peloponnese, before she was transferred to hospital in nearby Pyrgos for observation and medical tests, according to the Hellenic Coast Guard’s October 11 statement.
Authorities were alerted early on October 9 that a passenger had entered the water approximately 72 nautical miles southwest of Zakynthos. Maritime authorities in Zakynthos, Katakolo and Pylos were notified, and the Coast Guard’s Joint Search and Rescue Coordination Center coordinated the response. Two Coast Guard vessels, a Hellenic Air Force helicopter and merchant ships searched the surrounding waters.
MSC Rossella III, a containership travelling from Piraeus to Gioia Tauro, Italy, alerted the Coast Guard after its crew detected the light. Footage the Coast Guard later released shows a vessel approaching a woman floating inside an orange life ring in darkness before the crew throws her a rope.
“We immediately launched a search and rescue effort and are working with authorities,” Royal Caribbean said in a statement issued before the rescue was confirmed. The company said its Care Team was assisting the passenger’s loved ones and declined to disclose further details, citing the privacy of the guest and her family.
Authorities investigate the circumstances
The Coast Guard’s initial statement did not explain how the woman entered the sea. A Coast Guard spokesperson subsequently told AFP that she had jumped from the ship and later told rescuers she wanted to disembark.
The Katakolo Port Authority is investigating the incident. Authorities have not explained how the woman obtained the lifebuoy. A local prosecutor also ordered a psychiatric evaluation as part of her hospital assessment.
Search disrupts the final port call
Odyssey of the Seas had departed Civitavecchia on October 4 for a seven-night, round-trip Greek Isles cruise. The ship was travelling from Mykonos toward Naples when the emergency began. Naples, scheduled for October 10, was to be the voyage’s final call.
Passengers describing the operation on Reddit said the vessel spent approximately 14 hours searching before continuing toward Civitavecchia late on Friday. Ship-tracking data showed it passing Naples, and guests spent their planned final port day at sea.
The voyage’s scheduled October 11 disembarkation in Civitavecchia remained unchanged. No disruption to the ship’s following seven-night Greek Isles departure, scheduled for the same day, has been announced.
