An Australian man who fell overboard from a cruise ship bound for Hawaii is reported to be the partner of a passenger who died during a medical emergency on the vessel.
The man was reported to have fallen from the Quantum of the Seas overnight, 1,400km south of Hawaii.
The Royal Caribbean Cruises ship left Brisbane earlier this month and had been at sea for 15 days.
It stopped at Tahiti in the Pacific along the way and was due to dock in Honolulu on Friday local time.
Shocked passengers have recalled how they were ordered to return to their cabins and ensure all their travelling companions were accounted for during the search before being allowed to leave their rooms 90 minutes later.
Quantum of the Seas crew launched a desperate search for the man who fell overboard
Bright lights were used in the desperate late-night search for the passenger as a US Coast Guard Hercules helicopter was deployed to scour the ocean from above.
The US Navy has also been called in to assist in the large-scale search .
The man’s identity and how he went overboard is not yet known at this early stage.
Tracking data shows the cruise stopped after the passenger went overboard but has since resumed its voyage to Hawaii’s Kona Island.
One man who has family on the ship told 2GB breakfast host Ben Fordham the passenger who went overboard is believed to be the partner of someone who died on the ship following a medical emergency.
‘There was a show during the night and the music stopped before it was announced there was a medical emergency and apparently the person passed away ‘ the listener told the program on Thursday.
‘About 90 minutes later, the call went out that someone went overboard and it turned out to be the partner of the person who passed away earlier.’
The caller added his wife, daughters and stepson onboard were devastated over the incident.
A fellow passenger shared harrowing footage of the desperate search for the man
An Australian man has gone overboard from the Quantum of the Seas cruise ship in waters off Hawaii (pictured, stock image of the ship)
Fordham also read out an email sent by a listener onboard who recalled how the vessel stopped and turned around at about 11pm last night.
‘It was very dark, search lights scanned the sea, rescue boats deployed, everyone confined to cabins,’ Fordham read.
‘The captain called on the PA an hour later for a gentleman to present himself to guest services. Everyone was out on their balcony.’
‘The search went on until around 1.30am. Rescue boats were brought back on board. Search lights continued for another 10 minutes, then the ship seemed to steam off slowly.’
The passenger added the incident was all over the ship’s social media.
‘Some saying cameras on deck saw him go over, others saying crew has confirmed a passenger did go over last night and there was only so much they could do,’ Fordham read.
Passenger Georgina Thompson and her husband were in bed when they heard the call ‘Oscar, Oscar, Oscar’ — the cruise ship line’s code for ‘man overboard’.
‘There were lights, you know, the big lights shining on the ocean,’ she told the Today show.
‘And also there were a couple of boats out there in the water.’
‘Then I got up and I went out to see what was happening. We didn’t know at that time what was going on.’
‘My husband thought we might have hit something or something like that, the way the ship stopped but then we realised that there was someone overboard. No-one said anything at that time.’
Ms Thompson said the tragedy has rattled fellow passengers and crew onboard.
‘We went to breakfast this morning and everyone was very sombre,’ she said.
‘I feel very sad for whoever it was.’
The cruise left Brisbane 15 days ago was en route to Hawaii, stopping at Tahiti along the way
Georgina Thompson told the Today show she and her husband were in bed when they heard the call ‘Oscar, Oscar, Oscar’ — the cruise ship line’s code for ‘man overboard’
Newlywed Aimee West, who is also on the cruise on her honeymoon has assured family and friends they are safe after a ‘pretty interesting night’.
‘Matt and I are safe, yes this is our cruise and we witnessed the attempts to locate the Australian man in the middle of the ocean and at night,’ she posted on Facebook.
‘I can’t say enough about the crew on Royal Caribbean International, professional and continued to provide us updates when they could.’
Ms West also shared footage of the search from their cabin.
‘We were all out on balconies trying to help spot the man but it was just too dark. The water itself was pretty flat so I am hoping this assists with rescue,’ she wrote.
Another passenger posted: ‘It was pitch black. They had tossed half a dozen life vests in the water with the automatic beacons. The seas weren’t very pleasant.’
It’s understood an Anzac Day service was also held on the cruise ship hours earlier for the large number of Australian passengers on board.
Royal Caribbean Cruises has confirmed a passenger had gone overboard.
‘While on its trans-pacific sailing, a guest onboard Quantum of the Seas went overboard,’ the company said in a statement to Nine News.
‘The ship’s crew immediately launched a search and rescue operation and is working closely with local authorities.’
Daily Mail Australia has contacted Royal Caribbean Cruises for further comment.
The large scale search continues for the missing passengers in waters off Hawaii
