May 21, 2018

Search called off for elderly man who fell overboard

The search for an elderly man who went overboard from the Sun Princess cruise ship on Saturday has been called off.

The tragic incident, which occurred about 100 nautical miles south-east of Singapore, happened at about 1.30pm on Saturday.

Cruise company, Carnival Australia, said CCTV footage showed the man, who was in his 80s, appeared to go overboard intentionally.

The tragic incident is a sad reminder that men over the age of 85 have the highest suicide rate in Australia.

The company conveyed its condolences. “Our thoughts and prayers are with the man’s family and friends in this very tragic circumstance,” it said.

Six days into the 12-day cruise, the ship broadcast an announcement over its PA system that a passenger had gone overboard, and the ship turned around. It took about one hour to return to the location where the incident had occurred.

A passenger on board the ship published a photo on Twitter of the rescue boat searching for the man.

“Fast rescue vessel just launched from the Sun Princess. Capt has arrived back at point where man overboard. Ship will now do a square search pattern to starboard,” he wrote.

Conditions were calm, he said.

The cruise departed from Perth. It had recently left Indonesia, and was on its way to Kuala Lumpur.

Tragically, the incident is the second of its kind in only two months.

If you or anyone you know needs help:

PANDA on 1300 726 306

Lifeline on 13 11 14

Kids Helpline on 1800 551 800

MensLine Australia on 1300 789 978

Suicide Call Back Service on 1300 659 467

Beyond Blue on 1300 22 46 36

Headspace on 1800 650 890

 

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

NSW Trustee accused of bullying and harassing grieving family

Sylvia*, 69, is one of eight children. Her voice is strong and clear when you speak to her, and she has a warm, deep laugh. But over the course of our conversations, Sylvia reveals she still has regular check-ups for non-hodgkin’s lymphoma, and a decade ago she overcame breast cancer. Sylvia is a fighter. But... Read More

Fox Footy’s Sarah Jones Brings AFL Commentary Flair to Aged Care

What happens when Fox Footy’s Sarah Jones visits an aged care home? An unforgettable day of Zumba and AFL fun! Huge thanks to Foxtel for sponsoring the Connect the 40% initiative and providing countless gifts and experiences to Australian aged care residents in need. Read More

Nursing homes are not hospitals: how the aged care system is broken

This is an opinion piece by Anton Hutchinson, it should not be read as an editorial story by HelloCare. There is a sad lack of understanding about what is going on with nursing homes or “Residential Aged Care Facilities*”. My family has owned and operated a highly regarded facility that cares for resident’s living essentially... Read More
Advertisement