What would have been a boat cruise tragedy was miraculously averted after the potential victim was given her life back; SUN, the wave-making British tabloid reported on Monday.
Kay Longstaff, a British woman fell from a cruise ship into the Adriatic sea about 60 miles off the coast of Croatia but she is alive, telling her.
Officials revealed that the 46-year-old fell into the sea at around midnight on Saturday but was rescued by a Croatian coastguard patrol boat 10 hours. She was taken to hospital in the town of Pula for checks and possible treatment.
Lucky Longstaff told Croatian news channel, HRT, after stepping off the coastguard patrol boat, the Cavtat, that she was sitting at the back of the deck before falling overboard and was “very lucky to be alive”.
“I was in the water for 10 hours, so these wonderful guys rescued me,” she added.
The lucky woman, a Yoga addict, said Yoga and singing kept her fit during the ordeal. The two prevented her from falling cold, she told one of the rescuers, the SUN further reported.
Captain of the rescue boat, Lovro Oreskovic, said Ms Longstaff was “exhausted” when they found her on Sunday, adding: “We were extremely happy for saving a human life.”
David Radas, from the Croatian Ministry of Maritime Affairs, said rescuers were able to work out the exact moment Ms Longstaff fell in the water by checking CCTV from the 965ft long (291m) cruise ship.
“Because they knew the time, they were able to know the exact position of the ship,” he told the SUN.
Radas told the BBC Ms Longstaff was hypothermic, but overall in “good physical shape” when she was found.
He said the circumstances around how she fell from the Norwegian Star ship were being investigated.
The Croatian Coast Guard said a ship and an aircraft launched a search at around 06:30 local time on Sunday.
The ship’s crew spotted Ms Longstaff in the sea – around one mile from where she fell – at 09:40 and one of the crew dived in the sea to haul her out before taking her to shore.
The Norwegian Star was delayed getting to Venice on Sunday, having also been part of the search operation in the early morning.
“The ship only told us a passenger fell overboard and we spent a few hours searching for her,” passenger Bethany Joyce told the BBC.
The 21-year-old from Long Island, New York, is currently in Venice with her family, after missing their flight to Toronto on Sunday.
She said disembarkation was “a mess”, adding: “(We) understand it was very hectic for them but we think it could have been handled much better.”
A statement from Norwegian Cruise Line confirmed that a guest had gone overboard while the ship was on its way from Vargarola to Venice.
“We are pleased to advise that the guest was found alive, is currently in stable condition, and has been taken ashore in Croatia for further treatment,” the statement said.
“We are very happy that the individual, who is a UK resident, is now safe and will soon be reunited with friends and family.”
The Foreign Office confirmed it had been notified of the incident.
How To Survive 10 Hours Under Water
-Expert
Professor Mike Tipton, an expert on surviving extreme environments, says the woman in this case had a “perfect” survival situation with warm, calm water.
“The water temperature would have been about 28-29C which is a little bit warmer than a swimming pool,” he says, meaning she would not have have suffered cold water shock.
And the fact she “wasn’t being battered by waves” meant she could float, swim and stay near to the spot where she fell in to maximise her chance of being rescued.
Other factors which have an impact on your chance of survival:
- If you are female, you will typically have a higher percentage of body fat which helps with floating and keeping warm
- Conserving energy by floating on your back rather than swimming, according to the RNLI
- A calm, positive mental attitude, Prof Tipton says, can help someone endure a long period of survival
