A 73-year-old man from Melbourne, Australia, is believed to have died after falling overboard from the Disney Wonder cruise ship in the Tasman Sea. The incident occurred at around 4.30am on Saturday, prompting a search and rescue operation that lasted more than five hours.
Victoria Police stated on Sunday that the man died after jumping from the liner, but they are not treating the death as suspicious. The Disney Wonder had departed Melbourne on 20 November for a five-day voyage to Auckland, New Zealand, but was forced to turn back after the alarm was raised.
Crew members used thermal imaging and surveillance cameras in the search, but the man was not found. Passenger Mitch Talbot told 7News that the captain informed passengers that someone had fallen overboard and that they were unable to locate them. He described the atmosphere as sombre and eerie for the rest of the day.
The Disney Wonder, which can carry over 1,750 guests, is expected to arrive in New Zealand a day later than scheduled. The Independent has contacted Disney Cruise Line for comment.
