Woman dies after 'going overboard' from 18-deck cruise ship in English Channel

A woman has died after going overboard from an 18-deck cruise ship in the English Channel, sparking a huge search in the middle of the night, rescue services say.

A woman has tragically perished after falling overboard from the 18-deck MSC Virtuosa cruise ship, which was en route to Southampton, prompting an extensive overnight search operation, according to rescue services.

Passengers aboard were alerted at 2am on Saturday as the ship emitted "loud blasts" and the captain broadcast a "man overboard" alert, causing the vessel to decelerate and search teams to initiate a significant hunt. The Mirror received information from one passenger who described how spotlights were deployed to scour the sea in the early hours in an attempt to locate the missing individual. The search spanned the area north of Les Casquets rocks, near Alderney

.

Another traveller recounted to the Mirror the startling sounds heard at 2am when the ship reduced speed and subsequently faced delays arriving in Southampton. They shared: "At about 2am the ship let off loud blasts, I thought the ship was in trouble, then the captain announced 'man overboard, man overboard, port side' the ship slowed down and they had spotlights into the sea looking for him."

They added: "At 2:30 they announced that they have a missing person and their thoughts and prayers are with the family, and that they are slowing the ship and we will be delayed getting to Southampton."

Chilling footage captured in the dead of night shows rescue teams gathering on the ship's deck. Another video shows spotlights positioned on the edge of the vessel being switched on to aid in locating the woman.

A flashing light, believed to be a drone, was seen zooming above the Virtuosa as rescue teams placed ladders along the edge of the deck. A spokesperson from the French search and rescue service confirmed that the individual was pulled from the sea by a helicopter crew, but sadly pronounced dead by doctors.

Join the Daily Record's WhatsApp community here and get the latest news sent straight to your messages.

It is understood that UK and French police are investigating the incident. One person took to X, expressing concern that search crews "didn't look for very long", writing: "So sad seeing the person overboard on the MSC Virtuosa last night. Didn't look for very long but I guess the schedule is more important. Still made us leave our rooms at 7:30! Hope they are found."

The Maltese-flagged vessel, built in France in 2020, measures 332m (1,089ft) in length and features 18 decks, accommodation for up to 6,334 passengers and 1,704 crew.

Virtuosa was scheduled to arrive in Southampton at 6:15am and depart at 8pm. The ship also features a 4D cinema, bowling lanes, a casino, a game arcade, and a Formula 1 simulator.

Passengers can also visit a theater hosting Broadway-style productions, as well as a lounge featuring Carousel Productions at Sea shows. The Mirror has reached out to the UK Coastguard, French Coastguard, and the cruise ship for a statement.

Don't miss the latest news from around Scotland and beyond - Sign up to our daily newsletter here.

Story SavedYou can find this story in  My Bookmarks.Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right.