No wave, ship not listing, passenger says

BRISBANE: A passenger aboard the cruise liner Pacific Dawn said there was no freak wave and nor was the ship listing when a woman fell overboard on Thursday near New Caledonia.

Passengers said the woman’s husband saw her fall and went into shock.

Life rings were immediately thrown into the water, but there was no sign of her, The CourierMail reported.

She was believed to have been on holiday with her husband and children.

Ms An said suggestions the woman was knocked overboard by a wave were incorrect although she was unsure how the incident occurred.

There had been no official announcement about where she fell from, said Ms An.

‘‘Unaware as to how she fell. The rails are all chest hight on me and I’m 5’4’’ [1.62m],’’ she said.

‘‘There was no wave and we did not list during this time. They [P&O] haven’t said where she fell from.’’

Ms An said said the parent cruise ship company could not be faulted for the way it had handled the tragedy.

She said this was her 10th cruise with P&O, her 12th overall, and was ‘‘by far the worst thing I’ve seen happen on a cruise’’.

Ms An said there was a sombre mood on board and passengers had been kept well informed of the situation.

‘‘The captain has asked for [the] privacy of the family which is being respected,’’ she told AAP yesterday.

‘‘You cannot fault P&O for how they have handled this.’’

Ms An said passengers had been updated with developments from the outset.

‘‘The captain and crew have been put in an unimaginable position yet have handled themselves professionally and with the respect to the victim and her family,’’ she said.

The woman fell overboard about 4pm on Thursday, about 150 nautical miles west of New Caledonia, during a weeklong cruise in the Pacific.

The search was called off yesterday morning.

The captain of the cruise ship announced to passengers that the woman had not been found and the ship was heading back to Brisbane.

Pacific Dawn is expected to arrive at Portside Wharf at Hamilton at 6am on Sunday (local time).

The incident has been referred to the Queensland Police Service and the Coroner.— AAP