The port of Barcelona initiated a search and rescue operation on Sunday morning for a person suspected of going overboard from the cruise ship MSC Bellissima, reported Catalan news outlets. A Helicopter and Maritime Rescue crafts were scrambled to search for the missing person at the entrance to Bocana Sud, after the alarm was sounded.
The Port of Barcelona has reported the incident to Salvament Marítimo and Civil Guard which have activated a search and rescue operation. Divers and a Civil Guard vessel are also working on the search and rescue tasks.
According to initial reports, the Civil Guard reported that they have been alerted at around 6:40 am, that a passenger went overboard from a cruise ship docked at the port
Rescue crews from the sea search and rescue agency Salvament Marítimo, Civil Guard, Barcelona Fire Department and Red Cross, have found only a life jacket equipped with a light signal which is believed to be launched by a member of the ship's crew, and are still searching for the missing person.
RTVE Notícies released the following video of the search efforts.
Continua la recerca d'una persona que hauria caigut aquest matí al mar al Port de Barcelona | @RTVECatalunya
— RTVE Notícies (@rtvenoticies) October 30, 2022
Els primers indicis apunten que és poc probable que hagi caigut des del creuer 'MSC Bellissima'
Notícies a https://t.co/YCp3Aos2zu pic.twitter.com/dvMl72jEd1
The cameras aboard the MSC Bellissima have not detected that any person went overboard from the cruise ship, which according to the latest statement by Civil Guard, makes it unlikely that the missing person was sailing aboard the vessel.
It is so far unclear how the incident happened, and if the missing person was sailing aboard MSC Belissima.
According to port authorities, the incident does not affect the rest of the port's activities and vessel movements.
