Key Notes
- Two fishermen rescued an Ovation of the Seas pianist off Southern California on November 6.
- The crew member was taken to hospital in stable condition, with time in the water estimated at about nine hours.
- The US Coast Guard is investigating the incident, while Royal Caribbean says it is supporting the employee.
A pianist working aboard Royal Caribbean’s Ovation of the Seas has been rescued from the Pacific Ocean after an estimated nine hours in the water. Two fishermen found the crew member off Southern California on Friday, November 6, and he was taken to hospital in stable condition.
The US Coast Guard is investigating how the man went overboard. His name has not been released, and the company says it is providing support while protecting his privacy.
Spotted Miles From the Californian Coast
Grant Garrett and Sean Norton were returning from a morning fishing trip when they encountered a person treading water roughly 20 miles offshore. The pair described the rescue to CNN affiliate KCBS/KCAL, in an account subsequently reported by CNN.
The fishermen stopped their boat, brought in their fishing lines and pulled the man aboard. Norton described him as being in shock. Once he was able to explain who he was, the man told them he worked as a pianist on Ovation of the Seas.
The men had been fishing in waters near Catalina Island before they encountered the crew member.
Coast Guard Confirms Hospital Transfer
In a statement to the BBC, the Coast Guard said it received a report from a member of the public who had recovered a conscious person from the sea. The man was handed over to Newport Beach Lifeguards, who confirmed he was an Ovation of the Seas employee.
The Coast Guard told the BBC that he was taken to hospital in stable condition and that the incident was being investigated. Local lifeguard officials estimated that he may have gone overboard at about 2:30 a.m., around nine hours before he was found.
The time in the water is therefore an estimate. Authorities have not publicly established the circumstances of the fall, and the available statements do not explain how it happened.
Royal Caribbean Supports the Crew Member
Royal Caribbean said it was providing assistance to the employee and would not release further details out of respect for his privacy. The statement does not identify the crew member or set out a cause for the incident.
Ovation of the Seas is part of Royal Caribbean’s Quantum Class fleet. The line’s ship overview currently markets Mexican Riviera sailings from Los Angeles, including calls in Ensenada, Catalina Island and Cabo San Lucas.
The immediate confirmed outcome is that the man was recovered alive and transferred for medical care. Further details about how he entered the water remain subject to the Coast Guard investigation.
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