Man dies after falling overboard on Norwegian Cruise Line ship

A man has sadly died after falling overboard from Norwegian Cruise Line's Norwegian Star just off the coast of Canada in the early hours of August 12.

The 79-year-old cruise passenger was recovered from the water, but was sadly pronounced dead at the scene.

Guests onboard the ship reported hearing the ship's public address system announcing 'Code Oscar' which lets staff on the vessel know that someone has gone overboard.

Although it's unclear exactly what time the man fell, or the circumstances surrounding the incident, tracking data from the ship shows that the it changed course at 3.53am local time as rescue missions began.

The search and rescue team covered roughly three nautical miles during the 29 minute search and recovered the body of the man, who had already passed away.

The ship then rediverted to its next port in Nuuk, Greenland, where it is set to arrive today (August 14).

The incident took place on day six of a 14-day Norwegian Cruise Line journey (Scott McIntyre/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Norwegian Cruise Lines confirmed the incident in a statement to CruiseRadio, and offered their condolences to the family of the man.

"We are deeply saddened to confirm that one of our guests, a 79-year-old male, was reported to have gone overboard while the ship was sailing to Greenland. The appropriate authorities have been contacted and an investigation is ongoing," they said.

“In consideration for the family and their privacy, updates will be shared as appropriate. Our thoughts and prayers are with the guest’s loved ones during this difficult time.”

The tragic incident took place on day six of a two week, one-way cruise from New York to Reykjavik, having departed from Corner Brook, Newfoundland, the day before.

It's unclear whether the man hails from the United States or elsewhere in the world.

This particular incident marks the fifth reporting of a person going overboard from a cruise in 2025. In March, a female passenger went missing from the Explorer of the Seas and was presumed to have gone overboard, though she was never found.

A crew member died after jumping overboard from the Icon of the Seas in July of this year (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

In June, a Tunisian crew member fell overboard from the Costa Deliziosa while it was docked in Souda-Chania in Crete, but fortunately she was quickly rescued without injury.

Later the same month, a little girl fell from her fourth deck balcony onboard the Disney Dream cruise ship, prompting her father to jump in after and save her.

Then, in July, a crew member onboard the Icon of the Seas stabbed a female colleague before jumping overboard and passing away.