Passengers tell of horror after woman falls to her death from cruise liner in English Channel

Cruise ship passengers have spoken of their horror after a woman in her 20s plunged overboard to her death in the English Channel.

Disaster struck the 18-deck MSC Virtuosa liner at about 1am yesterday morning, as it sailed from Lisbon to Southampton.

Passengers on the £650million (AUD$1.2b) vessel described how alarms sounded, followed by a “man overboard” announcement.

Spotlights were then used to light up the sea, as aircraft from France and the Channel Islands attended the scene, north of Les Casquets rocks, near the island of Alderney.

An eyewitness said passengers were left “shocked, distressed and traumatised” by the scene as a body was retrieved from the water, adding that few people were able to sleep again before the vessel docked in Southampton yesterday afternoon.

The ship was met by detectives, who questioned the passengers and crew.

One of those on board told The Mail on Sunday: “The ship sounded the alarm at 12.55am and the bridge came on the intercom announcing ‘Man overboard port side’.

“The ship shone its searchlights into the water. The captain then turned the ship round 180 degrees to go back the route we had come, in search of the passenger.

“At 1.30am an announcement was made by the cruise director announcing a missing passenger.

“Helicopters and coastguards began to arrive just after 2am, with the passenger’s body being winched into a helicopter around 2.30am.”

A French navy helicopter led the search and rescue operation, and was supported by aircraft from the Channel Islands.

“Infra-red cameras were used to locate the person, who would have struggled to survive in the cold water,” said a French emergency services source.

Cecilia Speck, 45, who was on board with her partner, said: “I was on deck when the captain announced that there was a ‘man overboard’.

“It was really traumatic, as some people were frantically going around to check on loved ones who hadn’t yet returned to their cabins.”

She added: “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.”

There was no initial information about the dead woman’s identity or nationality.

A French coastguard source said: “Police investigations have begun following the incident in the early hours of Saturday.”

“An emergency alert was received at around 3am [French time, 2am in Britain], saying that a person was missing. A rescue helicopter was scambled, but the person was declared dead soon after being winched on to the helicopter.”

The Virtuosa, which has a crew of more than 1,500 and which can carry up to 6,300 passengers, remained in the area, before making its way to Southampton.

Passengers on the four-year-old ship can enjoy a range of entertainments, including a 4D cinema, bowling lanes and a casino.

There is also a theatre hosting Broadway-style productions and a lounge featuring Carousel Productions at Sea shows.

The ship’s owner, MSC Cruises, issued a statement, saying: “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 any further details.”