The passenger who jumped from the world’s largest cruise ship on Sunday fell a staggering 90 feet to his death, sources said – and staff on board knew exactly what had happened practically before he hit the water.
The man, who has not been identified, jumped from the running track on the fifth level of Royal Caribbean’s Icon of the Seas one the first day of its weeklong voyage, a security team member told The Post when the ship returned to Miami Saturday morning.
Each deck is about 20 feet high, so the man fell from approximately 90 feet, the staffer explained.
The man’s body was transported via van to the Miami-Dade County Medical Examiner’s Office, according to crew members.
Cops also met the ship and took statements at the docks, and they retrieved a copy of the surveillance footage of the fatal incident.
When the man jumped on May 26, the overboard detection system was activated almost immediately when the man jumped – prompting onboard staff into action, the security team member continued.
“We knew what had happened literally seconds after he hit the water. The protocol is that we’re supposed to immediately make visual contact to see if we can spot him,” the source said, noting that one guard also saw the man jump on a security camera feed.
“It’s the captain’s call whether to stop and turn around, and he did,” he added.
Once the alert was sounded, the ship’s specialized security team prepared to take a rescue boat out to pick up the man.
The rest of the security team was stationed at predetermined lookout spots to do a 360-degree scan of the surrounding waters, while the Coast Guard was also briefed and immediately sent out an aircraft to the site, according to the crew member, who asked not to be named.
While the potential rescue got underway, the Icon of the Seas’ medical team was put on high alert.
The ship had paramedics, nurses, former ER doctors, and even a surgeon on board – as well as all the lifesaving medical equipment one typically finds in a small hospital, a member of the ship’s medical team told The Post.
The man was likely not alive when he was recovered from the water, the source added.
The doctor on board pronounced him dead once his body was transported to the medical bay, according to the crew member.
The passenger’s body was then stored in the on-board morgue, which is equipped with eight drawers.
There were no other fatalities on-board during the week-long voyage, which stopped in Honduras, Mexico and the Bahams, the medical team member said.
An onboard care team assisted the man’s family in the days after the incident, they explained to The Post.
The loved ones had the option of staying on the ship or flying home – though most bereaved families opt to stay with their relative’s body, the source noted.
The other passengers disembarking the massive ship – which holds up to 7,600 guests and 2,350 crew members – said they mostly went about their business for the rest of the cruise, though there was a prayer circle in the man’s honor.
“I didn’t know him but I felt horrible about it,” says Janine Pernell, a passenger from Atlanta.
Pernell was one of about 20 people who attended the small memorial that was held on the running deck.
“We just all held hands and prayed that the family would find comfort and peace. There were a lot of tears. We felt like it was all we could do,” she lamented.
