A Brit passenger on a £5,000 Virgin Voyages cruise is said to have thrown himself into the sea from the ‘cursed’ ship.
The brave lady was returning to Portsmouth after her maiden voyage around Spanish and Portuguese ports when the man entered the water on Wednesday evening.
An intense search and rescue operation for the missing passenger began, as she watched the ship turn around in the hope of finding him.
The French and Spanish coast guards were alerted to the frantic pursuit, while a surveillance plane and a helicopter were deployed to try to locate him.
The captain of the luxury cruise ship even desperately asked his fellow guests to scan the sea for any signs of the man missing in the water.
In addition, two merchant ships that were in the area to assist in the search were diverted from the sea, the Daily Mail reported.
But it was canceled last night with the assumption that the passenger, believed to be British, drowned.
While the crew was investigating the accident on board, it turned out that the passenger had “deliberately” dived from the ship into the Atlantic Ocean.
It was not clear whether other passengers witnessed the accident or whether it was captured by CCTV.
The brave lady has resumed her original course after the search was halted and is due to dock in Portsmouth this evening – about 12 hours late.
The tragedy rocked the passengers of the new Virgin Voyage, who complained about the holiday’s problems.
They said as if Mrs. Brave – who hosted shows by pop artists in the ’80s including Tony Hadley, Toya and Tobau – was “damned”.
Passengers paid up to £5,000 to sail around A Coruña in Spain, Madeira, Tenerife and Gran Canaria and spend two full days and an evening in Lisbon.
But the original itinerary was cancelled, causing the flight to the Portuguese capital to disappear for a day and Madeira to be missed entirely.
Then one of the passengers fell seriously ill and had to be evacuated from the ship by helicopter.
The series of unfortunate events culminated on Wednesday evening when the Briton was plunged into the sea.
tragic journey
One passenger told the outlet: “The flight felt damned right from the start – it had one problem after another.
“First there were the little things like we ran out of food and drink and the wifi wasn’t working, then the shows were renewed and the route changed.
“There have been coronavirus infections – they had to create an area of the ship for those who tested positive to self-isolate there.
“And then someone got so sick that he was flown to the hospital. And now, this terrible incident. It was awful.”
Another guest added: “It devastated all the passengers – it is shocking to think that another passenger is likely to have died. »
Travelers were ready to enjoy a star-studded collection of ’80s icons as they sail the seas on an adults-only cruise.
Performers include Tony Hadley, Tony Hadley, Toyah, TPAO, Altered Images, ABC singer Martin Fry, and former Radio 1 DJ Bruno Brooks and Gary Davis.
The trip felt damned right from the start – it had one problem after another.
passenger
Passengers were told last night that due to several issues with their cruise, a free European cruise with Virgin Voyages will be offered this summer.
Aimed at the “young at heart” and adults, The Valiant Lady offers a range of quaint restaurants, intimate bars and a nightclub.
The luxury ship earlier announced a partnership with Jennifer Lopez, which will see the singer and actress invest in the cruise line and develop collaborations in leisure, health and fitness.
A Virgin Voyages spokesperson said: ‘In the early hours of the morning we learned of a man’s accident at sea involving a sailor [passenger]Which culminated in a search and rescue mission.
“We are deeply saddened by this news and our thoughts are with the family and loved ones of this sailor.
“Our investigation indicates that this was an intentional act and that there is no suspicion of wrongdoing.
desperate search
“We had a previous incident where a sailor on board had a medical emergency and required medical attention on shore.
“Our team acted quickly and with the help of the local authorities, we were able to airlift them to the hospital. We are very pleased to report that this person is doing well and receiving medical care.
“As for the other areas of focus, we set ourselves high standards and in this case we missed out on a few things and we’re very sorry it wasn’t perfect.
“While not everything is under our control, such as the supply chain challenges to meet all onboard offerings, or the weather, we remain focused on the Sailor experience and know we must continue to improve.”
A spokesman for the Navy and Coast Guard said the British Coast Guard had been coordinating a search in the Bay of Biscay since 7.30am yesterday.
They continued: “The French sent a fixed-wing aircraft to provide air support to a helicopter sent by Spain to conduct a search.
Two merchant ships and a cruise ship were also assisted. The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Department has been notified. »
Last night, they confirmed the cancellation of the search.
