On 31 July 2023, it was reported that a woman fell overboard from the cruise ship Spectrum of the Seas.
The Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC) were alerted to the incident at about 7.50am.
Search efforts are ongoing and vessels in the Singapore Strait and in port were told to keep a lookout for the missing person and report any sightings.
Woman Who Fell Overboard in Cruise Ship at the Singapore Strait is a 64YO Mother from India
According to The Straits Times, the person who fell overboard is 64-year-old Reeta Sahani.
She and her husband, 70-year-old Jakesh Sahani, were onboard Spectrum of the Seas for a four-day cruise.
The incident happened on the last day of their cruise trip and the cruise ship was on the way back to Singapore.
Their son, 39-year-old Apoorv Sahani, said his family members, who are from India, are in the dark about his mother’s current status.
Mr Jakesh had woken up in the middle of the night to find his wife missing.
He searched the huge, sprawling ship, but was unable to locate Madam Reeta.
He went on to inform the ship crew and was told that the ship’s overboard detection system has been triggered.
Something had fallen from the ship into the Singapore Strait.
Son: Nothing is Confirmed Yet
According to the son, his mother couldn’t swim.
The family had requested to view the cruise ship’s CCTV footage but has yet to receive anything from Spectrum of the Seas.
The only thing they knew was the ship crews’ claim that his mother had fallen overboard.
His father was made to go through a few hours of interview with police officers.
Mr Jakesh was eventually told to leave the cruise ship to make way for another cruise.
The son, however, were not satisfied. It doesn’t make sense for Madam Reeta to jump from the ship as she had enjoyed herself during the trip.
He suspects that his mother may still be “stuck somewhere” on the cruise ship.
The Spectrum of the Seas departed from the port at about 4.30pm and is currently headed towards Nha Trang in Vietnam.
The cruise ship Spectrum of the Seas is operated by Royal Caribbean.
According to the company’s spokesperson, the incident was immediately reported to the local authorities.
While not much can be revealed to protect “the privacy of the guest and their family”, the spokesperson said the company is in touch to offer support and assistance.