Crew Member Overboard: Extensive Search Operation Underway in Mediterranean Sea After Viking Star Incident

A distressing incident occurred at 11:31 a.m. local time on Monday, October 27, when a crew member fell overboard from the Viking Star cruise ship while it was navigating between the islands of Crete and Sicily in the Mediterranean Sea.

The emergency situation prompted an immediate response aboard the Viking Star, which was carrying 925 passengers and 471 crew members at the time. The vessel quickly implemented its emergency protocols and began searching for the missing individual in collaboration with the Italian Coast Guard.

According to the New York Post, crew members deployed life rings and smoke flares to mark the location of the incident. The ship proceeded to circle the area repeatedly in an effort to locate the overboard crew member.

The Viking Star was on an eight-day, seven-night Mediterranean cruise that had recently departed from Athens, Greece, with scheduled stops in Turkey and Crete. The incident occurred while the ship was en route from Crete to Palermo, Sicily.

Passengers were alerted to the emergency when an announcement came over the public address system stating that a crew member had fallen overboard. This news caused considerable distress among both passengers and staff, with many rushing to the railings to search the waters below.

A Fox News producer who happened to be on board described the reaction of one waiter serving lunch as "visibly shocking." At one point during the search, someone reportedly exclaimed, "I see someone!"

As the search operation continued, the cruise ship moved slowly in circles around the area where the crew member was believed to have gone overboard. The Italian Coast Guard has taken charge of the expanding search efforts.

Details regarding the identity of the missing crew member and the specific circumstances surrounding the incident have not yet been disclosed.

The Viking Star's itinerary includes additional planned stops in Sicily, Naples, and Civitavecchia, which serves as a port for Rome.