Rescuers didn’t have to search long to find a title for this happy ending story. The “Thanksgiving Miracle”, a reference to the party that brings Americans together every fourth Thursday of Novemberoccurred this week in the Gulf of Mexico.
Wednesday, November 23, at 11 p.m., a 28-year-old man disappeared from the liner Carnival Valorwhich was heading to Mexico from New Orleans, Louisiana (USA).
A large search area
It was his sister, with whom he was traveling aboard this giant of the seas (290 meters long, 110,000 tons, nearly 3,000 passengers) who gave the alert the following day at noon.
But the many calls made through the speakers of the Carnival Valor failed to locate the passenger who had spent the evening in one of the ship’s bars. And for good reason, the man had simply fallen into the water, in the middle of the Gulf of Mexico.
Thursday November 24, at the beginning of the afternoon, the liner chartered by the Carnival cruise lines reported the disappearance to the Coast Guard, which set up a search system over an area 200 nautical miles wide, with boat, helicopters and planes.
In a state of shock
At 8:25 p.m., more than 21 hours after the passenger’s disappearance, the bulk carrier hair saw a man overboard. Swimming in 21°C water, he was able to be airlifted shortly afterwards.
“He was able to give his name and confirm that he was indeed the person who fell into the water”said Lt. Seth Gross, of the United States Coast Guard, to CNN. “He showed signs of hypothermia, shock, dehydration” et “didn’t really give a clear indication of the reason for his fall overboard or the precise time”he added.
“Will to live”
“The fact that he was able to stay afloat and above the surface of the water for such a long time will certainly be etched in my memory.”said the coastguard. “It shows that the will to live is something to consider in all cases of search and rescue. »
The good news was passed on to passengers on the liner on Thursday evening. The survivor was taken to a Louisiana hospital and his condition was deemed stable on Friday. A real miracle.