Search Continues for Man Overboard on Almería-Melilla Ferry Route

According to sources from the government delegation, the passenger, an adult male, fell overboard around 2 AM, while the ship was sailing on the high seas. The crew attempted to locate him without success, before resuming the journey to Melilla where it arrived two hours late, reports El Faro de Melilla.

Alerted, maritime rescue services deployed a helicopter to try to locate the missing passenger. So far, the search has yielded no results. An investigation has been opened to determine the causes and circumstances of this fall into the sea.

A passenger told EFE that she panicked due to the sudden movements of the ship, which began around 2:30 AM and were repeated around 4 AM. Likely when the ship was making turns in search of the missing man. "It felt like a terrible storm," she said, adding that she feared for the safety of the ship.

The woman also criticized the lack of communication from the crew who provided no information about this incident during the crossing, let alone upon arrival in Melilla, around 8:30 AM. She also noted the low height of the ship’s railings, which has been operating the routes connecting Melilla to Almería and Motril since the beginning of the year.