A crew member on the Viking Star cruise ship in the Mediterranean went overboard on Monday, the company confirmed.
The unnamed worker was last seen going overboard around 11:30 a.m. local time on Monday, triggering the ship’s emergency response.
“The ship’s emergency response was immediately activated, and an extensive search operation was launched, in coordination with the Italian Coast Guard,” Viking Cruises said in a statement, via USA TODAY.
The search and rescue efforts are ongoing. Fox News Digital reported that the crew member was on the second deck of the ship when the incident occurred.
According to Cruise Mapper, the Viking Star was making its way from the Greek Island of Crete to Palermo, Sicily in Italy on Monday. The ship is on a two-week voyage (Oct. 16-30) which originated in Istanbul and will conclude in Rome, with stops throughout Turkey, Greece and Italy.
The Viking Star, reportedly carrying 925 guests and 471 crew members, was roughly 100 nautical miles southeast of Calabrian coast when the crew member went overboard, per the Italian Coast Guard.
“We are deeply saddened by what has occurred,” the cruise line added. “Our thoughts are with the family of our crew member, and we will continue to support them during this difficult time.”
Second major cruise line incident this week
Sadly, the Viking crew member falling overboard is not the only cruise-related tragedy to occur over the last few days.
On Sunday, an employee on the P&O cruise ship Arvia died “following an accident on board.” An investigation is underway, with Cruise Fever reporting that the worker was killed in some sort of elevator accident.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with their family and friends both on board and at home and we are providing every possible support to them,” a spokesperson for P&O Cruises said in a statement.
