Woman, 44, found alive in sea 20 hours after falling from cruise ship

A 44-year-old woman who had fallen from the Royal Caribbean cruise ship Odyssey of the Seas earlier this month was found alive and rescued from the water after a 20-hour ordeal.

The woman, an El Salvador native, had been on the Mediterranean cruise which had been sailing off the coast of Greece, with the vessel having departed from Italy on 4 October for a week-long voyage.

According to a release from the Hellenic Coast Guard, she had fallen into the water on the morning of 9 October and spent around 20 hours in the water before she was found.

With a woman overboard, a 'local emergency plan' was triggered which alerted other vessels in the area, deploying rescue vessels and a helicopter to join the search.

It is believed the woman spent around 20 hours in the water before being rescued (YouTube/Hellenic Coastguard)

It was a cargo ship, the MSC Rossella III, which had been participating in the search effort that ultimately found the woman.

The coastguard shared footage of the moment the woman was rescued, with her being spotted floating in the water in an orange life ring before a rope was thrown over to her.

Crew on board the ship asked her if she was alright and she was able to grab the rope and pull herself closer to the cargo ship.

Take a look at the moment she was rescued below:

She received first aid after getting brought on board and was then brought to Katakolo in Greece where she was taken to hospital for 'medical monitoring and medical examinations'.

A preliminary investigation into the matter has been launched, but fortunately the 44-year-old woman overboard was rescued alive and well.

Royal Caribbean said in a statement: "We immediately launched a search and rescue effort and are working with authorities.

"Our Care Team is actively providing support and assistance to the guest’s loved ones during this difficult time. For the privacy of the guest and their family, we have no additional details to share."

The woman fell overboard from the Royal Caribbean Odyssey of the Seas (Gerard Bottino/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)

What happens when someone falls overboard on a cruise ship?

When someone falls overboard on a cruise ship a protocol kicks into place which results in the ship logging the location where the 'man overboard' warning was issued to give themselves and other vessels an idea of where to look.

The sea is a vast expanse that often lacks distinctive features or landmarks, so having the right coordinates as a starting point is crucial.

Vessel crews are trained on how to act when responding to someone in the water, so they know exactly what they have to do when the search begins and how best to conduct themselves.

Sadly, despite it being a scenario crews train properly, for the survival rate for people going overboard into the sea is low, so it is very fortunate that the woman who spent 20 hours in the water was recovered alive.