P&O Cruises Australia confirmed a 22-year-old passenger was successfully rescued after he jumped from Pacific Dawn about 20 nautical miles in calm conditions off Vila early today.
A crew member raised the alarm and deployed a life buoy immediately the man went overboard about 5am.
The standard man overboard procedures were also activated, including the deployment of smoke flares and GPS positioning to identify the man’s location.
The man was recovered from the water by rescue boat within 45-minutes of falling overboard after the 70,000 tonne Pacific Dawn made a full turn around.
P&O Cruises said the man was in a restricted area when he went overboard.
“The passenger was rescued quickly because of the immediate reaction of our crew,” the spokesperson said.
“It was a textbook rescue operation and we are very pleased that our passenger was returned safely to the ship.”
The man is in the care of medical staff onboard. He will leave the ship in Vila in the interests of his emotional well-being.
The man’s family has been contacted.
P&O Cruises will conduct a full report into the incident as part of its standard procedures. This includes reviewing CCTV footage and taking statements from eyewitnesses.
The ship is carrying about 2000 passengers and 700 crew. She is currently berthed in Vila, as scheduled, as part of a 10 night cruise in the South Pacific.