We have a jumper
Brit’s ‘rows’ before captain announced she was missing
THE captain of the ship that a Brit plunged from announced she had jumped, it is claimed.
Kay Longstaff was said to have argued with her partner on the trip.
The skipper allegedly declared: “We have a reported jumper.”
KAY Longstaff was involved in rows with her partner in the days before she plunged overboard from a cruise ship, it is claimed.
And the 46-year-old air hostess was allegedly described as a “jumper” by the captain of the Norwegian Star.
Kay insisted she fell from the seventh deck of the 294m liner, before spending 10 hours floating in the Adriatic Sea off Croatia until she was plucked from the waters by the coast guard.
But other tourists insisted it would have been “impossible” to accidentally slip over the chest-high railings surrounding the decks.
American Eddie Palladino, 60, who was on the cruise with his wife and two children, said: “We were woken up by alarm bells going off and then there was an announcement from the captain.
“He said: ‘I’m calling to alert you now that we have a reported jumper off the ship and we’re now in a search and rescue mission.’
“He didn’t say anything about an accident and called her a ‘jumper’. The railings right across the ship are very high. I’m 6ft tall and would have to climb up to get over them. She didn’t fall by accident. Her shirt was found on the deck. I’m happy she survived… it’s a miracle.”
A worker on the ship later reportedly wrote on Facebook: “She didn’t fall, she jumped. It was on my ship.
“I spoke [to her] throughout the whole week. She was arguing with her fella the whole time.”
Croatian officials say CCTV images show Kay was alone at the time of the incident at 11.45pm on Saturday, 60 miles off the coast. Her partner Craig Rayment was said to be in bed when the drama unfolded.
The electrician reported her missing at 2am, several hours after she vanished.
After finally being rescued at 9.40am on Sunday and taken to the Croatian city of Pula, Kay told a local TV station how “singing” and “yoga fitness” helped her survive the night.
The expat, said to live in Marbella, added: “I fell off the back of the Norwegian Star and I was in the water for 10 hours. So these wonderful guys rescued me. I am very lucky to be alive.”
Croatian Ministry of Maritime Affairs spokesman David Radas added: “She was really lucky, the weather was ideal.
“The water was around 25C and there were no waves or currents, which is unusual for the northern Adriatic Sea.”
Kay, originally from Gloucestershire, was discharged yesterday after receiving treatment for mild hypothermia and was said to have been reunited with Craig.
When contacted, he said: “I’m not interested in talking.”
Kay’s dad, retired police officer Ron Longstaff, said he had no idea of her brush with death until after the rescue.
He added: “I’m rather pleased I hadn’t heard she’d fallen into the sea.”
Kay, who works for a private jet firm, had joined her family for a week-long cruise around the Greek islands.
Her cabin and the scene of the fall have been taped off but Croatian police said they are not investigating the incident as a potential crime.
Norwegian Cruise Line refused to comment on claims their captain described Kay as a reported “jumper”.
The captain said it was a reported jumper... it’s a miracle she survived EDDIE PALLADINO PASSENGER ON SHIP