Woman Rescued After 20 Hours Adrift in Ionian Sea

A 44-year-old Salvadoran national was rescued by the Hellenic Coast Guard after spending approximately 20 hours in the Ionian Sea. The woman had gone overboard from the Royal Caribbean cruise ship Odyssey of the Seas.

The incident occurred near the island of Zakynthos on Saturday. The cargo ship MSC Rossella III spotted the woman in dark waters, clinging to a bright orange lifebuoy, and alerted authorities. A Greek Coast Guard crew then arrived to bring her to safety.

According to a Coast Guard spokesperson, the woman told authorities she jumped because she "wanted to disembark." Following her rescue, she was taken to the port of Katakolo and transported to a local hospital. A prosecutor has ordered a psychiatric evaluation.

This incident follows a similar event last year when a man jumped from Royal Caribbean's Rhapsody of the Seas in San Juan, Puerto Rico, reportedly to evade gambling debts.