A passenger has fallen overboard from a Norwegian Cruise Line's ship close to Mahia (New Zealand's North Island). Emergency services are still searching for the overboard man, who reportedly fell from Norwegian Jewel ~7 pm on Sunday, December 29, Rescue Co-ordination Centre spokesman Vince Cholewa announced.
The man had gone missing near Mahia Peninsula, on the east coast of North Island. Staff on the ship were reviewing CCTV footage and searching onboard for the missing vacationer.
A helicopter from Hawke's Bay Rescue Helicopter Trust arrived to search by 8 pm, and a second one from Eastland Rescue Trust arrived soon after. Those had since returned and were replaced by an NH90 helicopter with a better night view equipment flying in from RNZAF Base Ohakea.
A container ship joined the search, using its powerful lights on the water. A sailing yacht is responding in the rescue efforts led by Maritime New Zealand. A second one, which had been searching earlier has been released.
Norwegian Jewel is on a 12-day, round-trip Australia & New Zealand cruise which departed Sydney on December 22.
For other Norwegian Jewel accidents and incidents see at the ship's CruiseMinus page.