A man in his late 50s tragically lost his life after falling overboard from the MSC Euribia, an MSC Cruises ship, early Thursday morning. The incident occurred while the ship was navigating the Sognefjord, Norway’s deepest fjord, often referred to as the King of the Fjords. This marks the second overboard incident on the same ship in less than three months.
The man reportedly fell into the fjord’s 4,300-foot-deep waters around 2:00 a.m. A rescue helicopter was promptly dispatched to the scene. After approximately an hour of search and rescue efforts, the man was located and airlifted to a nearby hospital. Unfortunately, he was later pronounced dead.
The circumstances surrounding the man’s death remain unclear. Authorities are treating the incident as suspicious and are currently investigating several possibilities. These include the incident being an accident, a criminal act, or an intentional act, according to a police officer.
To aid in the investigation, authorities plan to interview the ship’s crew and review any available video footage from the cruise ship. This could potentially provide more insight into the events leading up to the man’s fall.
The MSC Euribia, a 19-level vessel, reportedly turned around in the channel shortly after the incident. The man was traveling with his wife at the time of the incident, according to reports.
Despite the tragic event, the ship is expected to complete its seven-day journey and return to Kiel, as originally planned, on Saturday.
Earlier this month, another man died after jumping off the largest cruise ship and falling 90 feet into the water. The ship’s staff was aware of the incident almost immediately after the man hit the water, thanks to the overboard detection system. The ship’s captain made the decision to stop and turn around following the incident.