Passengers on Royal Caribbean’s Icon of the Seas described bizarre chaos that occurred on board the ship after a man jumped overboard on Sunday.
An unidentified man fell from the world’s largest cruise ship shortly after it departed Florida on the first night of a week-long voyage to Honduras on Sunday.
Zachary Normand was on the boat and said passengers were aware of the missing passengers.
He was eating dinner in the dining room with about 300 other passengers when the captain announced that the man had been found.
“Everybody in the dining room clapped and we were like, ‘Yay,'” Normand told the New York Post. “We thought the guy was OK.”
A passenger on the Icon of the Seas died after jumping overboard on Sunday while the ship was about 300 miles from the Port of Miami.
The man was in critical condition when he was brought back to the ship and was pronounced dead, but passengers cheered and celebrated after he was found, unaware that he had died.
He said a rescue operation was underway and he was informed the ship was due to turn back.
However, it was only later discovered that the passengers had died.
To his surprise, Normandin said the atmosphere on board was completely surreal, with most people continuing to enjoy their holiday as if nothing had happened.
“I don’t think anyone knows this guy is dead. I feel like there’s been a deliberate silence,” Normandin added.
Normandin expressed surprise at how quickly normal activity resumed despite the tragedy.
“I thought I was going to go straight back to Miami and that would be it. But it wasn’t and everything just went along with it. I think people are just trying not to think about it. Maybe, I don’t know,” he said.
“I thought more people would be like, ‘What is going on?’ but instead, people were just going about their daily lives. It’s like a dystopia.”
The unidentified man jumped into more than 80 feet of ocean from the massive Icon of the Seas shortly after it left Miami on Sunday.
The ship remained at anchor for two hours and its crew assisted in search and rescue efforts.
The US Coast Guard confirmed that a rescue boat was dispatched and the man was later pronounced dead after being pulled from the water.
The unidentified man jumped 80 feet from the massive Icon of the Seas ship shortly after it left the Port of Miami on Sunday.
He was spending the night on the first night of a seven-day trip around the Gulf of Mexico, with stops in Honduras and Costa Maya, Mexico.
According to CruiseHive, the ship was about 300 miles from Miami when the man fell overboard.
The ship eventually anchored for about two hours, with its crew assisting with search and rescue efforts, before continuing on its voyage.
The 1,200-foot-long Icon of the Seas made its maiden voyage in January.
The 1,200-foot-long Icon of the Seas made its maiden voyage in January.
It can accommodate 7,600 passengers and 2,350 crew members.
“Currently on board Icon of the Seas,” a passenger who shared footage of the rescue team said on X.
“Someone jumped overboard or fell and a search and rescue is currently underway. It’s unlikely they’ll ever be found. Everyone, hold on tight to your loved ones.”
The $2 billion ship measures approximately 1,200 feet (365 meters) from bow to stern and has 20 decks, 2,350 crew members, 2,805 cabins and space for 7,600 passengers.
20-year-old Le’Veon Parker was a popular athlete and high school football player from Northport, Florida.
Other features on the ship include a 55-foot-tall man-made waterfall, 40 restaurants and bars, seven pools including a 40,000-gallon “lake,” 50 musicians and comedians, and a 16-piece orchestra.
In April, 20-year-old Le’Veon Parker jumped off a Royal Caribbean cruise ship in front of his horrified family.
The 18-storey Liberty of the Seas was sailing between Cuba and Grand Inagua Island in the Bahamas when the shocking incident occurred.