Australian man dies after falling from Royal Caribbean’s Symphony of the Seas

An Australian man has drowned after falling overboard on the Royal Caribbean’s Symphony of the Seas cruise ship in the Virgin Islands. 

The man, who has not yet been identified, plunged into the water in the early hours of Wednesday when the ship was en route to St Thomas from St Kitts. 

Royal Caribbean said the ship immediately turned around after realizing the man had gone overboard and launched a rescue boat. 

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One passenger said they spotted search lights in the water between 3am and 4am.  

The man’s body could be seen bobbing up and down in the waves as rescues crews tried to retrieve him, before it was eventually returned to the ship.

It is not yet clear how the man fell overboard and the cruise line is now working to understand the circumstances around his death. 

‘We are deeply saddened by the tragic incident that occurred on the Symphony of the Seas en route to Saint Thomas,’ a statement from Royal Caribbean said. 

‘Our hearts go out to the family and loved ones for their loss, and our care team is providing support and assistance during this difficult time.

‘Upon the initial report that an Australian adult male had gone overboard, our ship immediately turned, launched a rescue boat, and conducted a full-scale search. 

The Royal Caribbean’s Symphony of the Seas cruise ship was en route to Saint Thomas when the man went overboard

‘We are working closely with authorities and will continue to assist in their investigation.’

The passenger who saw the rescue said there was another cruise ship nearby so it wasn’t initially clear which ship the man had been on. 

He said there were no warnings or announcements about a passenger falling overboard. 

7News Miami reporter Nickella Battle said she heard news of the Australian man’s death over the ship’s intercom at about 4am – which caused other passengers to ‘stand in their tracks’. 

One passenger told Daily Mail Australia the man is believed to have had family with him on-board.

‘We think he was travelling with people because crew members were quickly notified after it had happened,’ another said. 

Medical examiners were waiting on the dock when the ship arrived at Saint Thomas. 

The Symphony of the Seas is the largest passenger ship in the world, weighing 228,000 tonnes.

Built at a cost of $1.35billion in 2015, it has been operated by Royal Carribean International since last year. 

The ship is able to carry up to 6,680 people and a crew of more than 2000 people. 

Royal Caribbean said the ship immediately turned around after realizing the man had gone overboard and launched a rescue boat. Pictured above is the tracking map