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Cruise ship worker found floating miles offshore, rescued by Newport Beach fishermen
ABC ^ | 11/08/2026

Posted on 11/09/2026 8:13:15 AM PST by Responsibility2nd

NEWPORT BEACH, Calif. (KABC) -- A crew member aboard a Royal Caribbean cruise ship was rescued by three fishermen after going overboard miles off Newport Beach Friday.

The cruise ship departed from San Pedro on Friday and was headed to Ensenada when the crew member went overboard.

According to the fishermen, they were about 20 miles offshore when they spotted the man floating on his back in waters near Catalina Island. They said the man appeared to be depleted of energy when they pulled him aboard their vessel.

(Excerpt) Read more at abc7.com ...


TOPICS: Local News; Outdoors; Travel
KEYWORDS: overboard

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Pianist who fell from cruise ship found alive by Californian fishermen nine hours later

Two fishermen pulled the unidentified crew member aboard after he spent about nine hours in the Pacific Ocean, and officials said he is expected to survive.

 
  • On Friday, two Newport Beach fishermen rescued a Royal Caribbean employee treading water 20 miles off the Southern California coast, identifying him as a pianist aboard the Ovation of the Seas.
  • Newport Beach Lifeguard Battalion Chief Adam Yacenda estimated the man fell overboard around 2:30 a.m., roughly nine hours before rescue, while the U.S. Coast Guard investigates the incident.
  • Fishermen Sean Norton and Grant Garrett spotted the man near Catalina Island while returning from a fishing trip, with Norton recalling, "Grant and I each got an arm and lifted him up."
  • Responding lifeguards transported the man to a hospital where he is expected to survive, and Royal Caribbean stated, "We are providing support and assistance to our crew member during this difficult time."
  • Norton credited survival to 76-degree water during a strong El Niño year, stating, "A different year, no way he makes it," though passengers reported no emergency alerts before disembarking and the Coast Guard investigation remains ongoing.

1 posted on 11/09/2026 8:13:15 AM PST by Responsibility2nd
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To: Responsibility2nd

Had dinner with Sean last Friday night, the day it happened. What a story to tell...


2 posted on 11/09/2026 8:16:24 AM PST by Slicksadick (We accept the love we think we deserve.)
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To: Responsibility2nd

3 posted on 11/09/2026 8:24:44 AM PST by ImJustAnotherOkie (... )
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To: Slicksadick
pianist aboard the Ovation of the Seas.

Was he playing out of key and they threw him overboard?

4 posted on 11/09/2026 8:26:21 AM PST by Hyman Roth
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To: Responsibility2nd

Why does it matter that he’s a Pianist?
Would the rescue mission have gone any differently had he been the Tuba Man?


5 posted on 11/09/2026 8:28:48 AM PST by lee martell
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To: Slicksadick

Wow, must have been something hearing it first-hand!

We did an Alaskan inside passage cruise on the Ovation of the Seas a couple years ago. I made sure I didn’t go overboard. Nobody else went over, either.

I thought 76 degree water would make you hypothermic pretty quickly. Turns out survival charts often treat water above ~80°F as having essentially unlimited survival from pure cooling. Hypothermia death is slow or avoidable for many people if they can maintain heat balance via body fat, reduced activity, clothing, or still water.⁠ Without a life jacket, the main threat is often drowning from fatigue rather than hypothermia itself. With flotation, people have survived prolonged immersions in this temperature range.

I remember reading a water survival tip decades ago that the Navy teaches sailors...you turn your pants into flotation devices, don’t panic, float, slowly come up for a breath a few times a minute.

The guy is lucky he chose a San Pedro - Ensenada cruise to go overboard on. And he chose the “Super El Nino Year,” to boot.


6 posted on 11/09/2026 8:32:27 AM PST by ProtectOurFreedom
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To: lee martell

“ Would the rescue mission have gone any differently had he been the Tuba Man?”

If he was the accordion player they would have left him.


7 posted on 11/09/2026 8:32:31 AM PST by HereInTheHeartland (“I don't really care, Margaret.” )
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To: lee martell

“ Would the rescue mission have gone any differently had he been the Tuba Man?”

If he was the accordion player they would have left him.


8 posted on 11/09/2026 8:32:33 AM PST by HereInTheHeartland (“I don't really care, Margaret.” )
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To: HereInTheHeartland

Lol!


9 posted on 11/09/2026 8:33:04 AM PST by lee martell
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To: ProtectOurFreedom

https://www.cbsnews.com/losangeles/news/newport-beach-fishermen-find-man-treading-water-royal-caribbean-cruise-ship-employee/
Better interview here...


10 posted on 11/09/2026 8:33:35 AM PST by Slicksadick (We accept the love we think we deserve.)
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To: Responsibility2nd

” depleted of energy”? AI written crap. You mean he was exhausted,?


11 posted on 11/09/2026 8:52:45 AM PST by Ikeon (Its only over for people who have thier eyes set on the horizon, instead of looking up.)
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To: ProtectOurFreedom

He still had all his clothes on which may have helped the retain a small amount of body heat. Weird thing was he still had his shoes on...Who swims/floats for nine hours, keeping their shoes on?


12 posted on 11/09/2026 8:55:16 AM PST by Slicksadick (We accept the love we think we deserve.)
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To: Responsibility2nd

Wonder if he’ll swear off the sauce...at least while on the ship?


13 posted on 11/09/2026 9:03:49 AM PST by Bonemaker (invictus maneo )
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To: Responsibility2nd
"the man appeared to be depleted of energy"

What is he, a man or an Eveready battery?
14 posted on 11/09/2026 9:08:45 AM PST by equaviator (Nobody's perfect. That's why they put pencils on erasers!)
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To: HereInTheHeartland

How about if he was the bagpipe player?

Heard a joke years ago from someone with the bad habit of playing bagpipes.

Seems there was a gentleman who was depressed about his playing. He decided to ditch his pipes, so he got in his old junk pinto, put his pipes in the back seat, drove to a bad part of town. He parked at a convenience store and walked away with the car still running. He went back an hour later to make sure the car was gone. Not only was it still there, still running, but there was another bagpipe in the backseat!


15 posted on 11/09/2026 9:09:07 AM PST by jimtorr
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To: Hyman Roth
>>>playing out of key…

———————

A person can only tolerate listening to Billy Joel’s song Piano Man so many times in a night.

16 posted on 11/09/2026 9:09:26 AM PST by Deaf Smith (When a Texan takes his chances, chances will be taken that's for sure.)
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To: Slicksadick
Who swims/floats for nine hours, keeping their shoes on?

Considering the outcome, this person may call these particular pair of shoes his lucky charm.

17 posted on 11/09/2026 9:17:34 AM PST by Ronaldus Magnus III (Do, or do not, there is no try. )
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To: Deaf Smith

Might have been suicidal and simply jumped at 2:30 am. Its been reported that many people who take the definitive action of jumping, once falling have a strong desire to survive and moments of clarity. Years ago a study was done on the 1 out 100 jumpers from the Golden Gate Bridge who survived and many reported that moment of clarity and wish they had not jumped. Wonder if this man has a similiar experience. Sadly some who had the miraculous survival went on to commit suicide.


18 posted on 11/09/2026 9:18:04 AM PST by allendale
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To: lee martell

“Would the rescue mission have gone any differently had he been the Tuba Man?”

yes, cause the Tuba Man did no survive the black thugs that beat him to death, and did almost jail time.

https://www.justice.gov/usao-wdwa/pr/seattle-man-prosecuted-tuba-man-killing-juvenile-gets-six-year-prison-term-illegal-gun


19 posted on 11/09/2026 9:18:30 AM PST by algore
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To: allendale

Kinda like people on FB who complain about police visits when they threaten suicide.


20 posted on 11/09/2026 9:25:32 AM PST by AppyPappy (They don't call you a Nazi because they think you are one. They do it to justify violence. )
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