A 73-year-old man was confirmed dead this weekend after falling overboard on a Disney Cruise Line from Australia to New Zealand.
The victim vanished from the Disney Wonder at around 4.30 a.m. on Saturday, prompting an extensive search and rescue operation.
The rescue team’s efforts, which included the use of thermal imaging and surveillance cameras, lasted for more than five hours but were unsuccessful in locating the missing man, whose identity has not been released.
In response to the emergency, the Disney Wonder, which had departed Melbourne on November 20 for a five-day journey to Auckland, turned around to scour the area, meaning the ship is now expected to arrive in New Zealand a day later than scheduled.
Victoria Police later confirmed the man’s death in a statement, writing, “It is understood the man died after he jumped from a cruise liner into waters in the Tasman Sea on Saturday, about 4.30 a.m.”
His death is not being treated as suspicious, they added. It is not clear if his body has been located.
Speaking to Australian outlet 7News, passenger Mitch Talbot said: “The captain came on and updated the boat and basically stated that there was someone, a passenger, who had fallen overboard, that they were unable to find.
“It was quite somber, and it was just a bit eerie for the rest of the day. A lot of the staff kind of took some time,” he added.
The news comes just months after a previous high-profile overboard incident involving a Disney cruise ship, in which a heroic father dived 49 feet off the Disney Dream cruise liner to rescue his five-year-old daughter after she fell overboard while posing for a photo.
In October, prosecutors announced that the young girl’s mother, who was supervising her at the time, would not face any criminal charges because the girl “did not sustain any injuries.”
An additional three people were also found dead at Disney-branded resorts over the past two months, including two people who suffered unrelated “medical episodes” at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort in Orange County, Florida, and on the Haunted Mansion ride at Disneyland in California.
Disney superfan Summer Equitz, 31, also died by suicide on October 14 after jumping from the 15th-floor balcony of Walt Disney’s Contemporary Resort, also in Orange County.
If you or a loved one is struggling with suicidal thoughts, please reach out to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline by dialing or texting 988.
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