A search was underway on Monday after a crew member went overboard during a Viking cruise in the Mediterranean that was carrying passengers from Greece to Italy, the cruise company said.
At 11:31 a.m. local time, a member of the crew on the Viking Star “was observed going overboard,” Viking Cruises said in a statement. The ship’s emergency response was activated and a search operation was initiated with the Italian Coast Guard, it said.
The company declined to provide further details about the crew member or the operation to find the person in the water. The Italian Coast Guard did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Passengers posted about the search and rescue effort on social media pages, describing a widening search area halfway between Greece and Italy and a search from the air.
Two people on board, who requested anonymity because they did not have permission from the ship’s authorities to speak publicly, said in an interview that passengers learned about the episode just before noon, as they enjoyed spa visits, lectures and other indoor activities after a blustery night. An announcement declared a Code Oscar, a maritime emergency signal indicating that someone has gone overboard, and saying that the ship needed to circle back.
Crew members took positions on deck and used binoculars to scan the water as the Coast Guard conducted a search. Concerned passengers, who were told not to disturb the searching crew members, looked at the waves with concern, the people interviewed said.
The cruise began in Athens on Oct. 23 and was set to conclude in Rome on Thursday. After the crew member went overboard, the ship was diverted from its scheduled trip to Palermo and instead rerouted to the Port of Messina in northeastern Sicily.
Christine Hauser is a Times reporter who writes breaking news stories, features and explainers.
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