Passenger Death (Overboard) on Vision Of The Seas: Incident on 23 December 2023

On 23 December 2023, a 41-year-old male passenger went overboard from the cruise ship Vision Of The Seas (Royal Caribbean International) while the vessel was navigating the East Coast of the USA, approximately 127 miles east of Charleston, South Carolina. The incident occurred during an 8-day "Perfect Day Holiday Cruise" itinerary from Baltimore, Maryland to Florida and the Bahamas. An extensive search and rescue operation was initiated immediately, involving the ship's crew and the United States Coast Guard (USCG); however, the passenger was not recovered.

The USCG Sector North Carolina coordinated the response, deploying a rescue helicopter and two fixed-wing aircraft from Elizabeth City, North Carolina and Clearwater, Florida. The ship continued searching for approximately six hours before being released to resume its voyage to Port Canaveral.

The overboard incident was reported to USCG Sector North Carolina at 7:17 pm local time (00:17 UTC on December 24). A USCG rescue helicopter arrived on scene at 9:51 pm (02:51 UTC), and Vision Of The Seas immediately deployed a rescue boat to search the area. Two USCG Lockheed C-130 Hercules aircraft from Elizabeth City, NC and Clearwater, FL joined the operation. Despite coordinated efforts from the ship and both aircraft, the passenger's body was not located during the six-hour search window.

Passengers

• Passenger count not specified in source; one 41-year-old male passenger went overboard.

Crew

• Crew count not specified in source; crew participated in immediate rescue response.

Fatalities

• 1 passenger (41-year-old male) — body not recovered.

Injuries

• None reported.

Rescued

• No survivors recovered from the water.

The United States Coast Guard Sector North Carolina coordinated the response following notification at 7:17 pm on December 23. A USCG rescue helicopter was dispatched and arrived at the scene at 9:51 pm. Two USCG Lockheed C-130 Hercules aircraft from Elizabeth City, North Carolina and Clearwater, Florida participated in the search operation. Vision Of The Seas deployed its own rescue boat and continued searching for six hours before being released by the USCG to resume its voyage.

The search operation was concluded after approximately six hours with no recovery. Vision Of The Seas resumed its voyage toward Port Canaveral. The incident cast a somber tone over the holiday cruise itinerary.