Woman Survives Cruise Ship Accident–Drifts At Sea For 38 Hours

A 30-year-old Chinese woman, known only by her last name, Fan, fell from the deck of the Royal Caribbean Mariner of the Seas cruise ship and is reported to have survived the accident after drifting for 38 hours at sea. BBC reported that The Shanghai woman survived the incident suffering minor injuries caused by jellyfish stings.

The cruise ship accident happened while Ms. Fan was travelling with her parents from Japan to China.  Fan was leaning on the deck rail of the ship from a height of about seven floors when she fell overboard at about 9:00 p.m. last Wednesday. She floated at sea for 38 hours, sustaining injuries from jellyfish stings before fishermen came to her rescue at about 11:00 a.m. on Friday. The incident occurred as the ship was sailing between Fukuoka, Japan, and Shanghai. The victim’s father was in absolute shock and refused to believe his daughter was still alive until he was contacted by authorities and heard her voice over the phone for the first time in days.

While some believe her survival is a miracle, other commentators have attributed her survival to her fitness as a swimmer since she was five years old. Aside from those speculations and utter incredulity over her survival, it is difficult to say whether the family plans to take any legal action against Royal Caribbean since the cause of her fall has not been disclosed.

This is certainly a troubling headline for Royal Caribbean Cruise Line, who recently announced its ship the Ovation of the Seas as an exclusive addition to its fleet in Asia. RCCL has shifted its focus on the Asian travel market and has seen some significant success overseas, proudly calling itself the largest cruise line in China.

CONTACTING AN EXPERIENCED CRUISE SHIP ACCIDENT LAWYER

As an experienced lawyer who represents injured cruise ship passengers from around the world, I think it is important for victims of cruise ship injuries to know that not every personal injury lawyer is capable of litigating a cruise ship injury case. Such cases are unique in that they must be tried in Federal Court here in Miami, FL, where the majority of cruise line companies—such as Carnival, Royal Caribbean, and Norwegian—maintain their corporate offices.

That said, a cruise ship accident lawyer based in Miami will help in the initial investigation to find out whether or not there is a viable case to prove the cruise ship’s negligence.  Our cruise ship accident lawyers are ready to help you receive the compensation you deserve for pain and suffering, medical bills, lost wages, and loss of enjoyment during your vacation. Our cruise ship accident law firm in Miami, FL has spent over twenty years representing injured cruise ship passengers from around the world. Contact us today via telephone at 1-866-597-4529 or 305-441-0440 or via email at [email protected]. We offer all clients a free initial consultation.