A 73-year-old man has been confirmed dead after falling overboard aboard a Disney Cruise Line sailing from Australia to New Zealand this weekend.
The victim went missing from the Disney Wonder around 4.30 am on Saturday morning, prompting a massive search and rescue operation.
Rescue efforts, which included the use of thermal imaging and surveillance cameras, lasted for more than five hours, but were unsuccessful in locating the missing man, whose identity has not been released.
In response to the emergency, the Disney Wonder, which had departed from Melbourne on November 20 for a five-day visit to Auckland, was turned around to inspect the area, meaning the ship is now expected to arrive in New Zealand a day later than scheduled.
Victoria Police later confirmed the man’s death in a statement, writing, “It is understood the man died after jumping overboard from a cruise liner in the Tasman Sea at approximately 4.30am on Saturday morning”.
He said his death was not being treated as suspicious. It is unclear whether his body has been found.
Speaking to Australian outlet 7News, passenger Mitch Talbot said: “The captain came and updated the boat and basically said there was someone, a passenger, who had fallen overboard, who they were unable to locate.
He added, “It was quite disappointing and the rest of the day was a bit strange. It took a lot of the staff some time.”
The news comes just months after a previous high-profile overboard incident involving a Disney cruise ship, in which a heroic father dived 49 feet below the Disney Dream cruise liner to save his five-year-old daughter after she fell overboard while posing for photos.
In October, prosecutors announced that the young girl’s mother, who was caring for her at the time, would not face any criminal charges because the girl “was not injured.”
An additional three people were also found dead at Disney-branded resorts over the past two months, including two who suffered unrelated “medical episodes” at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort in Orange County, Florida, and the Haunted Mansion ride at Disneyland in California.
Disney superfan Summer Ikewitz, 31, also committed suicide by jumping from the 15th floor balcony of Walt Disney’s Contemporary Resort in Orange County on October 14.
If you or a loved one is struggling with suicidal thoughts, please reach out to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline by dialing or texting 988.
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