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A 76-year-old British tourist has plunged from a cruise ship north of the Canary Islands, sparking a major search mission by sea and air.
Police and the Spanish coastguard mobilised after the adults-only Marella Explorer 2 sounded a ‘Man Overboard’ alert on Thursday morning, as the 14-deck vessel headed to the Canaries from Madeira.
The ship’s captain slowed it to a near-stop before activating ‘protocol procedures’ which included reviewing cameras, launching marker buoys and conducting circular search manoeuvres.
The incident happened when the cruise liner was around 16 nautical miles from Punta de Teno on Tenerife’s most northwestern point.
A coastguard spokesperson said: ‘Yesterday, 27 November, at 09.48am (Canary Islands time), the Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC) in Tenerife received a man overboard alert from the ship Marella Explorer 2, located 16.5 miles north-west of Punta Teno in Tenerife.
‘The man is a 76-year-old British passenger.’
Lesley-Anne Kelly, who was on the ship at the time, told the BBC how she heard crew sound the alarm as she was having breakfast on the ship.
She said the alarm blared, followed by an announcement of ‘man overboard’.
‘It was breakfast time. Everybody was up and about. It was pretty bright, so yeah I can imagine if someone had gone in at that time of the day they would have been seen by multiple people’, she said.
Ms. Kelly said the captain announced the ship was staying in place while a search was launched, which was stood down due to the oncoming darkness.
She said: ‘It was pretty sombre last night, especially after the announcement that they were standing down the search.’
A maritime and air search operation has been launched, involving the Helimer 201 helicopter, Salvamar Menkalinan and Salvamar Mizar vessels and the Sasemar 103 aircraft.
The spokesperson said that he didn’t yet have details about how the passenger went overboard.
‘Today, November 28, the search resumed early in the morning with the Helimer 201 helicopter, which will take turns with the Civil Guard’s Cuco helicopter,’ he continued.
‘In addition, the Río Guadiato patrol boat from La Palma has joined the search.
‘The Tenerife Maritime Rescue Centre is coordinating the search operation in collaboration with the Civil Guard.
‘At 02.40am (Canary Islands time), the Marella Explorer 2 docked at the port of Santa Cruz de Tenerife.’
Voz Populi reported on Thursday evening: ‘There is no record at this time that the passenger has been located.
‘The operation remains open and the authorities have not yet provided the identity, nationality or circumstances of the fall, which is customary in initial investigations of incidents on cruise ships.’
The ship’s current position is showing up as the Tenerife capital Santa Cruz, where it arrived around 2.30am Friday morning.
The Malta-flagged cruise liner was built in 1995 and has ten bars including the golf-themed 19th Hole and ten restaurants as well as an open air cinema and Broadway-style theatre.
The ship left Tenerife on November 21 for a seven-day Canarian Flavours tour with scheduled stops in Gran Canaria, Lanzarote, Fuerteventura, Madeira and La Gomera.
On November 20 an American woman mysteriously disappeared from a cruise ship in the Caribbean.
Ann Evans, 55, went missing during an organised island tour in Sint Maarten, east of Puerto Rico.
She was seen departing the Holland America Line Rotterdam ship around 10am to go on the tour and getting off the bus in Marigot, French Saint Martin, but she failed to return.
Authorities say law enforcement authorities on both the Dutch and French sides of the island have been alerted.
A cruise ship which left behind an 80-year-old Australian grandmother on a nearly deserted island where she died was stormed by investigators earlier this month.
Suzanne Rees was found dead on Lizard Island on the Great Barrier Reef, in Far North Queensland, on October 26.
She had been left behind by an NRMA Coral Expeditions cruiser, the Coral Adventurer.
Officials from the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) were seen boarding a tender belonging to the Coral Adventurer as it left the Yorkeys Knob Boat Ramp in November.
Lizard Island was the first stop of the cruise on its 60-day circumnavigation of Australia, a trip valued at $80,000.
Ms Rees, a grandmother from Sydney, had been hiking in sweltering conditions with fellow passengers from the Coral Adventurer, but became separated from the group for a rest.
It’s believed she was was left behind by the cruise ship Coral Adventurer on Saturday, October 25, after a head count was missed.
The Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) is leading the investigation into the incident, alongside Queensland Police and the state Coroner.
The cruise ship that the 76-year-old British man plunged from is operated by TUI.
A TUI spokesperson told the Daily Mail: ‘We are deeply saddened to confirm that a guest was seen entering the water while the ship was on passage to La Gomera.
‘Our thoughts are with the individual and their loved ones during this difficult time. Our dedicated care team is supporting the family, providing assistance and comfort.
‘We are working closely with local authorities and will continue to offer every possible support.’
