Salvadoran woman rescued after 20 hours in sea near Zakynthos

A 44-year-old Salvadoran woman was rescued after spending 20 hours in the Ionian Sea following a fall from the Royal Caribbean cruise ship Odyssey of the Seas. The incident occurred early Friday morning while the vessel was sailing southwest of the Greek island of Zakynthos.

A large-scale search and rescue operation was launched, involving two coast guard vessels and a Greek Navy helicopter. The woman was eventually spotted by a passing cargo ship early Saturday morning, floating in an orange lifebuoy. Despite the duration spent in open water, she was found conscious and was subsequently picked up by a coast guard patrol boat.

Following her rescue, she was taken to the port of Katakolo and then to a hospital in Pyrgos for medical examinations. According to a spokesperson for the Greek Coast Guard, the woman stated she jumped from the ship because she ‘wanted to disembark’. A prosecutor has ordered a psychiatric evaluation to assess her mental health.