MIAMI – The cruise ship Carnival Glory found and rescued a crew member Sunday a day after he went overboard from another cruise ship off the coast of Cuba, the U.S. Coast Guard said.
The Coast Guard said a 33-year-old Filipino crew member went overboard from the Norwegian Getaway early Saturday about 28 miles northwest of Pinar del Rio, Cuba.
The Coast Guard said the man, who was found 20 miles north of Cuba, is in stable condition. Carnival said the man is being treated by the Glory's medical team.
"This is nothing short of miraculous," said Christine Duffy, president of Carnival Cruise Line. "Kudos to the Carnival Glory team for this amazing effort to rescue a fellow seafarer."
A hotel steward spotted the man in the water around 1 p.m. Sunday and alerted the Glory's bridge officers, the company said. The Glory then reduced speed, reversed course and lowered a lifeboat to retrieve him, the company said.
The Coast Guard Air Station Miami sent a HC-144 Ocean Sentry airplane to help conduct the search, which covered more than 1,500 square miles. The Getaway also conducted a search for the man.
Bob Shellenberger, a passenger on the Getaway, told Local 10 that the ship had its arrival delayed until 3 p.m. Sunday.
Shellenberger said that the cruise director informed ship passengers that they won’t be offered compensation for the delay or reimbursement for missed flights.
Norwegian Getaway is currently based out of PortMiami. The ship operates seven-day cruises to the western Caribbean. The large cruise ship is staffed with more than 1,500 crew members and can accommodate nearly 4,000 guests.
