Cruise Ship Pianist Rescued After Nine Hours in the Pacific off California

Two fishermen heading home from a marlin fishing trip found a man treading water in the open Pacific on Friday, November 6, about 20 miles (32 km) off the California coast near Catalina Island. Sean Norton and Grant Garrett, both of Newport Beach, pulled him from the water around noon. The man told them he was a pianist aboard the Royal Caribbean cruise ship Ovation of the Seas, and lifeguard officials believe he had been in the water for about nine hours.

Nine hours in the water

Lifeguard officials believe the man fell overboard at about 02:30 on Friday, roughly nine and a half hours before the fishermen found him. That timing is an official estimate, not a confirmed fact, and how he ended up in the water is still unknown. He was found 15 to 20 miles offshore. Adam Yacenda, a Newport Beach lifeguard battalion chief, told CBS Los Angeles: "It was approximately 15 to 20 miles offshore, pretty much in the middle of the ocean."

Norton credited the water itself for the man's survival. He told CBS News the sea was unusually warm that day, reported at 76 degrees Fahrenheit, warm enough for a person to stay alive through nine hours in the open ocean.

Handed to lifeguards, taken to hospital

The fishermen handed the man over to Newport Beach lifeguards, who confirmed he worked on the Ovation of the Seas. The US Coast Guard told the BBC the man was taken to hospital in stable condition, and the Coast Guard described the report it received as "a Good Samaritan who recovered a conscious individual from the water." The Coast Guard said it is investigating the incident.

Royal Caribbean Group confirmed the incident in a statement and said the company was helping the crew member. A spokesperson told the BBC: "We are providing support and assistance to our crew member during this difficult time. To respect the privacy of our employee, we have no additional details to share."

The ship, and the question that remains

The Ovation of the Seas is a 14-deck Royal Caribbean ship. It arrived in Los Angeles on November 6 after a four-night cruise to Catalina Island and Ensenada, Mexico. CBS Los Angeles reported the rescue first, on November 7, with interviews with the two fishermen, the Newport Beach lifeguard account and a Coast Guard update. The BBC reported the story on November 9, and it reached the BBC most watched list the same day.

The crew member's name, age and nationality have not been made public. No photo of him has been released. Until the Coast Guard investigation reports, the central fact of the story stays simple: a man spent about nine hours alone in the Pacific, and two fishermen on their way home happened to pass close enough to see him.