A 44-year-old woman from El Salvador has been rescued from the waters off Greece after spending nearly 20 hours at sea when she went overboard from a cruise ship, authorities said.
GREECE, — The woman was pulled from the ocean almost a full day after she entered the water from a cruise ship near the Greek coast.
The Hellenic Coast Guard identified her as a 44-year-old Salvadoran national in a statement released Sunday. A spokesperson told CBS News that she reportedly “wanted to disembark” and jumped overboard.
According to the coast guard, she had been aboard a cruise ship registered in the Bahamas and went into the sea approximately 80 miles from land. The nearest coastline was Greece’s Zakynthos island. Officials have not said which cruise company operated the vessel.
A rescue ship, patrol boat and Hellenic Air Force helicopter joined other vessels in the area after authorities received an alert that someone was missing in the water.
“She was 20 hours at sea,” a coast guard officer told CBS News.
A cargo ship eventually located the woman floating in a life buoy. The nighttime rescue was captured in video released by the Greek coast guard.
The footage shows her drifting in a bright orange buoy against nearly black water as the cargo vessel approaches. Crew members throw her a line and pull her toward the ship before the video ends.
After being brought aboard, she received first aid and was transported to a hospital in Greece for further care.
Authorities are investigating the incident. No additional details have been released.