Man Overboard

[3Sisters]

I'm so sad to find out an MSC Seascape cruise member falling overboard with no return. This crew member was only 30 years old. I wonder if I passed by the member while on the ship a few months back. Does anyone know any more details on the person who passed away? This is such heartwrenching news. 

[PaulB]

I agree, it's heartbreaking news. And it shocks me how frequently these occurrences are. I guess I must have been a little naive to the fact, never occured to me, however it tends to happen often it saddens me to say.

[3Sisters]

I really wonder what happened to this man. I'm so curious if this crew member was on or off duty when this tragic incident occurred. The U.S. Coast Guard released a statement stating their search totaled about 34 hours with no success. My thoughts and prayers go out to this man and his family. 

[PaulB]

I totally agree and with you on that. Condolences to his loved ones I'm sure. I read that the coast guard spent a long time searching, and unfortunately to no avail. It deeply saddens me to hear of such things.

[Kendall James-Vargas]

This man overboard was truly tragic! At least the U.S. Coast Guard did their very best searching and surveying the area. The crew member was so young! I too wonder if this was intentional or an accident. I haven't seen any updates, but if you find any more details please share them below. 

[PaulB]

Are many overboards accidental? I can imagine a few maybe after a few drinks and doing something silly that can cause you to go over, however it is quite hard to actually go over the side unless you put yourself into that situation.

[3Sisters]

Overboard situations are the worst! They can be accidental or due to mental illness. The reasons vary. I want to hope that most of the occurrences are accidental, but that's just not the case. I have been on a cruise where a man overboard situation happened on a balcony during a mother/son confrontation. That's a tricky situation. Even during an investigation, if there weren't any alternate witnesses, no one knew the truth. 

[LukeJ]

Such a sad state of affairs. Mental health affects a lot of people, and it's horrible to see such dark thoughts take over.

[Cruising Caribbean]

@LukeJ It's heart-wrenching. It's a shame that much of the world dismisses mental health and doesn't provide enough supporting care for those who need it. I'm referring to the amount of homelessness in the U.S. due to mental illness. Where I live, there is a huge prominence of homelessness. It's tragic to witness and not stop to care. I happen to have lots of snack/meal options and blankets that I had out to those in need, but I wish there was a better long-term solution to this problem. I believe mental health support would be a huge step in the right direction. Many of our homeless residents pass away in the winter due to the cold temps. 

[LukeJ]

@Cruising Caribbean what sort of extra help would you like to see? It would be fantastic if the whole world got together to try and maintain this, but mental health I fear will get worse because of the atrocities of the world, and the daily stresses that we all receive. 

[Cruising Caribbean]

@LukeJ Honestly it would be more impactful for there to be designated social workers to be more hands-on with reaching out to those in the community. The pay-to-go-away mentality isn't effective. The services are there; there just needs to be a better liaison to connect the resources with those individuals. As a social worker, I can tell you most organizations are understaffed and underpaid. There aren't enough resources to fill in the gaps. Mental health is an epidemic for sure. I would only hope the numbers would decline but it's hard to believe that to be true. 

[PaulB]

Unless something drastic happens, it's unfortunate that it will only get much worse and mental health will have a increase. It's a domino effect that will keep going, until something happens to take that domino away. 

[Kendall James-Vargas]

This topic is saddening. I too wish that mental health issues weren't so predominant, but they don't discriminate. Every guest is welcome to cruise, and there isn't a screening process for cruising. Also, many guests abuse alcohol on their cruises, and if they are struggling with any mental health issues, it can be a dangerous combination. Cruising is meant to be all about fun and relaxation, but accidents and illness still remain a factor. The cruise lines can't take responsibility for accidents, but promoting awareness is always important. 

[PaulB]

@Kendall James-Vargas very true in what you're saying. Alcohol loosens people's minds, and if you're struggling as you state, it can make things worse. It's a shame that people can't enjoy themselves, and all these torments makes me sad.

[LukeJ]

It is a very sad state of affairs that we are seeing. Life I find is precious and it is heartbreaking when other people don't think so and that their lives don't matter. If only these people who jump overboard can see the pain they are leaving behind. I guarantee they will be deeply missed.

[Kendall James-Vargas]

@LukeJ Many people can't see the bright side! I'm thankful for your comment because it's an important message to all. Your life matters and is important. Don't risk your life and leave others behind to pick up the broken pieces. Sometimes man overboard incidents are accidents or malicious in intent, not always suicidal, but it seems the majority of these circumstances are due to mental health issues unfortunately. A psychologist onboard each ship could make a killing! I think that person could be even more popular than the massage therapists onboard. 

[Cruising Caribbean]

@LukeJ Did you see the recent article about the RCL guests who fatally fell off a ship's balcony? These accidents are serious; in this case seriously fatal. It happened on Allure of the Seas and the passenger was only 16 years old. I wonder is this was another mental health incident or a sheer accident. 

[LukeJ]

@Kendall James-Vargas you've got a really good point there. Maybe ships should have a therapist onboard, that way it could prove to be a lifesaver. Even if they stop just one life, it's surely worth it. @Cruising Caribbean I agree with yourself also, I did read the article, and I believe it's a mixture of both unhappiness and then alcohol that blurs the reality and gives the courage to carry it through.

[Cruising Caribbean]

@LukeJ The guest who passed away was so young! Who is truly to blame? At 16 I'm not sure if it's the parent's fault, but something said or done beforehand could have helped prevent it. Alcohol abuse is not only an issue onboard but even on land! One of my neighbors was just speaking on this yesterday sharing that those who have alcohol in their system are more likely to get hypothermia due to the blood thinning effects. Alcohol is so commonly accepted but when abused it's a cause for concern. It goes far beyond altering your state of mind. The idea of a therapist isn't a bad one. The therapist could do one complimentary family or marital therapy session for top-tier guests. That could be a good or a bad thing!

[LukeJ]

@Cruising Caribbean thats an interesting read, but I always believed that alcohol kept you warm rather than the other way round. There was a famous story of a  survivor on the titanic that survived the water for two hours before being picked up by the rescue ship due to the amount of alcohol he drank.

[Cruising Caribbean]

@LukeJ I thought the same thing! My cheeks will often feel redd and flushed too when I consume alcohol. That just attributed more to my assumption of alcohol having warming properties. The homeless population here is more likely to catch hyperthermia due to alcoholism. I assumed it was due to drug abuse and self-awareness but apparently, I was wrong. 

Based on your Titanic story, I'm second-guessing my neighbor's statement! In fact, alcohol presumably saved that passenger's life. I found out I have a blood clotting disorder, and I have been attributing my somewhat normal standards of living to my morning coffee and evening wine. Both of those substances are notorious for thinning the blood. I believe if I keep it up maybe the doctor won't put me on blood thinners, but the office still hasn't given me any direct instruction. For now, I will keep on keeping on with my limited wine and coffee consumption.

[PaulB]

That's the issue with alcohol, it makes you feel and believe you are unbreakable if you drank enough. It pushes your senses, and unfortunately some want that slight push to do the unthinkable.

[Kendall James-Vargas]

That's very true! Alcohol can make you believe you are invincible. Your rational thinking goes out of the window when you are severely intoxicated. Since that's one of the only "drugs" condoned (and promoted) on cruise ships it's usually a major factor in man overboard or unsafe circumstances in general. It's so easy to get carried away, but I just hope that guests do better at self-awareness! If you feel like consuming alcohol could negatively alter your state of mind, you should not consume it in excess or at all. It can end in tragedy!

[LukeJ]

@Kendall James-Vargas it is very easy to get carried away. In the UK, there is a lot of binge drinking, so it's easier to lose all your senses. Some enjoy that and refuse to believe it's an issue, so there isn't a lot that people can do to help or stop someone if they are in that frame of mind.

[Kendall James-Vargas]

@LukeJ It's such a cultural thing too! Since it's a legalized and highly popular drug most people are very comfortable with consuming alcohol in excess. For those with tendencies, it can get out of hand very easily! I'm perfectly happy taking an entire cruise without drinking, but on most cruises, I do consume alcohol. It's very easy to overdrink when you have a drink package too! You can essentially get a limitless amount of alcohol after already prepaying. Guest want to get their money's worth out of that package too. It's not good to do anything in excess. I get awful hangovers so my body naturally steers clear of more than a few drinks. The feeling after consuming alcohol is not good enough if it's going to be an entire day of a brutal hangover the next day. It's an easy pass for me.