Incident Overview
A 77-year-old woman aboard a Holland America cruise ship went overboard on New Year’s Day, prompting an extensive search that has now been suspended.
The incident occurred in waters northeast of Cuba, as reported by the U.S. Coast Guard Southeast District. After eight hours of searching across more than 690 square miles, the Coast Guard, along with crew members from the Nieuw Statendam, concluded their efforts.
At the time of the incident, the Nieuw Statendam was en route to Key West, Florida. Following this tragic event, Holland America announced that the ship would cancel its scheduled stop in Key West and is now set to return to Fort Lauderdale, Florida, on Saturday.
In a statement regarding the situation, Holland America expressed their sorrow: “We are deeply saddened to confirm that while sailing in waters north of Cuba, a guest on Nieuw Statendam went overboard… Our family assistance team is supporting the guest’s family, and our thoughts are with the guest’s loved ones during this difficult time.” The cruise line has not disclosed the identity of the missing passenger.
