A woman died after falling overboard from a cruise ship near the Channel Islands in the early hours of this morning.
The 18-deck MSC Virtuosa had nearly arrived at Southampton after a voyage from Lisbon when Man Overboard alarm was sounded around 2am on Saturday.
It turned ‘180 degrees to go back the route we had come’ in an attempt to find the woman, a passenger told MailOnline.
She was pronounced dead after being winched from the water north of Les Casquets rocks, near the island of Alderney.
‘People were frantically going around to check on loved ones that hadn’t yet returned to their cabins’, according to Cecilia Speck, who was on board with her husband.
Describing it as ‘really traumatic’, she said: ‘The staff onboard were so good in keeping people as calm as they could.
‘It’s unfortunate that the girl is sadly deceased but at least her body was recovered quickly so that her family can lay her to rest.
‘I need time to recover and my heart goes out to the family and all those that were affected by this.’
Loud blasts sounded by the ship cut through the darkness before spotlights scoured the sea while waiting for a lifeboat and aircraft to arrive from the Channel Islands and France.
A French emergency services source said: ‘Infra-red cameras were used to locate the person, who would have struggled to survive in the cold water.’
The woman’s identity and nationality have not been publicly released.
Confirming the woman’s death, MSC Cruises said: ‘We are deeply saddened by this tragic event, and our thoughts are with the family during this difficult time.
‘Out of respect for their privacy, we will not be providing further details.’
Passengers and crew aboard the vessel were asked for ‘thoughts and prayers’ for the woman’s family and friends when announcing the search.
Those on board were interviewed by police upon arrival hours late in Southampton today.
It had been due to arrive at 6.15am before departing again at 8pm
A French coastguard spokesperson said: ‘Police investigations have begun following the incident in the early hours of Saturday.’
The investigation is not being led by UK authorities, Hampshire Constabulary said.
Built at a cost of £650million, the Virtuosa has a crew of more than 1,500 and a capacity for 6,300 passengers.
The 1,089ft-long Maltese-flagged vessel, built in France in 2020, is equipped with a 4D cinema, bowling lanes, a casino and an arcade.
It had stopped at Alicante, Malaga, Majorca, Barcelona and Valencia before making the journey to Southampton.
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