Cruise Ship Passenger Rescued After Falling into Ocean 50 Miles East of Boca

Jul 02, 06:55 AM

Current Headlines: By South Florida Sun-Sentinel

Jul. 2--A passenger who plunged off a cruise ship about 50 miles off Boca Raton was rescued less than an hour later by a Coast Guard cutter that happened to be nearby.

The Coast Guard, in a press release, identified the passenger as Scott Durrin 29, of Rockville, Md., who was aboard the Carnival Liberty. The ship left Fort Lauderdale about 4 p.m. Sunday.

The cruise ship reported Durrin missing about 11:35 p.m. Sunday. Initial reports claimed that he may have jumped or fell off the ship while intoxicated. The crew threw life rings and lifejackets over the side at the time, the Coast Guard said.

A Coast Guard cutter was about nine miles from the cruise ship, and it launched a search. A second cutter and a helicopter were ordered to the search area minutes later, the Coast Guard said.

Durrin was located at 12:22 a.m. Monday, the Coast Guard said.

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