HOUSTON, Texas (CNN) -- The U.S. Coast Guard rescued two passengers in the Gulf of Mexico on Sunday five hours after they fell off a Princess Cruises ship, passenger Kevin Shaw told CNN.
The U.S. Coast Guard confirmed both passengers -- a man and woman in their 20s -- were rescued.
There was no immediate information on their condition but they were being treated aboard the ship, the Grand Princess, according to Shaw.
"It's amazing these two are alive and well," he said.
The two reportedly fell off the balcony of a cabin about eight hours after the ship departed from Galveston, Texas. The ship was bound for popular vacation spot, Cozumel, Mexico.
Shaw said rescuers fished the woman out of the water and he saw her bundled in a blanket looking "a little cold" on the ship, which has been anchored about 200 miles southeast of Houston.
As rescuers hoisted up the life boat, Shaw and others "saw the man in the water" and he was "yelling and waving to us."
Coast guard officials "found the man nude in the water but he was then clothed and is now on the ship's deck in a wheelchair," Shaw said.
The two were reported missing after their friends "heard screams" from an outside balcony and, upon searching the balcony, "noticed their two friends missing," Shaw said, sourcing the ship's captain.
Houston Coast Guard Lt. Kevin Kurczewski said a rescue helicopter and jet were deployed at 3 a.m. to search for them
GALVESTON, Texas - A man and woman fell overboard from a cruise ship in the Gulf of Mexico early Sunday, but both were rescued after a four-hour search and appeared to be in good condition, a cruise line spokeswoman said.
The 22-year-old man and 20-year-old woman fell 50 to 60 feet from a cabin balcony, said Julie Benson, spokeswoman for Princess Cruises.
She said the cruise line did not know how they fell overboard. Their ship, Princess Cruise's Grand Princess, was about 150 miles off the coast of Galveston, Texas, at the time.
The captain turned the ship around after friends of the man and woman notified the crew at about 1:30 a.m. CDT that they had gone overboard, Benson said. The ship's crew used high-powered spotlights and rescue boats in the search. One passenger was rescued by the ship's boats at 5:30 a.m. and the other at 6 a.m., according to a statement by the cruise line.
The search was aided by the Coast Guard, said Lt. j.g. Jillian Lamb at the District 8 Command Center. A nearby cruise ship also offered assistance, she said.
The man and woman, whom the cruise line declined to name, were examined by the ship's medical staff.
"They appear to be in satisfactory condition and we hope that no further medical attention will be needed," Benson said.
Grand Princess was carrying 2,783 passengers on a seven-day tour of the western Caribbean.
Okay makes you wonder WHAT they were doing on the balcony - doesn't sound like they were practicing safe S.E.X
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I sure hope all these balcony antics don't lead to changes in the balconies by the cruise lines. Why would a person pay good money to go on a cruise and blow iby either drinking their selves stupid or just being plain ignorant and risking their lives??
If this couple played whoopie on the balcony rail they created a new question for the Newlywed Not So Newlywed Game.....
Lord there must have been some moves going on on that balconey, I'm talking gymnastic antics....
Ok, this one is atleast a tiny bit amusing unlike the drunk ass who threw himself overboard (did anyone see his "sad sob" story on good morning america? last week?)
I'm thinking what Luanne said..."oh honey its gonna be fun, you stand on this side of the balcony and i'll stand on that side and hold on...no no i wont slip...that would be stupid"
What excuse did the guy on Good Morning America use for going overboard? I wish I had seen the interview. From what I have heard about it, he only survived because of his weight. (Overweight people float much better than people who aren't.) I think he should have to pay his rescue expenses. If I were in charge of a cruiseline, I would NEVER let him on another one of my ships. He definitely should not MAKE any money off this.
And, as I have been preaching here, I think the cruise passengers should start a class action suit against the nuts and file suit against them for the inconviences that they are pressed through... stress of seeing a dead body, stress of if they might fall overboard themselves, the possibility of missing an excursion because of the ship's delay, just break the foot off in them.
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"And, as I have been preaching here, I think the cruise passengers should start a class action suit against the nuts and file suit against them for the inconviences that they are pressed through... stress of seeing a dead body, stress of if they might fall overboard themselves, the possibility of missing an excursion because of the ship's delay, just break the foot off in them."
Mehawk, I think we have enough frivolous lawsuits going around and tieing up our courts. Don't need any more.
I agree with Libragirl that the cruise lines need to bill these idiots for all the extra fuel and man hours necessary to resce them after they fall/jump overboard.
Lord there must have been some moves going on on that balconey, I'm talking gymnastic antics....
Ok, this one is atleast a tiny bit amusing unlike the drunk ass who threw himself overboard (did anyone see his "sad sob" story on good morning america? last week?)
I'm thinking what Luanne said..."oh honey its gonna be fun, you stand on this side of the balcony and i'll stand on that side and hold on...no no i wont slip...that would be stupid"
Thank you for making me Laugh Out Loud.... I loved this one!!!
in a sense I agree with Mehawk - it isn't the cruiseline's fault that people go overboard for whatever reason; stupidty, depression, etc - so it would only be fair for the "overboarder" to compensate the pax for missed excursions and delays, not the cruiselines; however, without the "overboarder" being insured for liablity for said actions or being wealthy and having excess assets, the pax wouldn't be able to collect any cold hard $.
but you could probably bankrupt them so they couldnt' cruise again... seriously they should be banned from cruising anyways - 1 strike your out.
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These jerks were on the Grand Princess, not any of the Carnival ships.
They should be fined 200,000 and 6 months in jail for impairing/damaging the business of that cruise. I feel the cruise line should have the right to sue them also.
I'm curious to know who's room this was. One was 22, the other was 20? Doesn't Princess have a rule about people booking rooms if they are under 25? Or is that just the other cruise lines?
As for suing? You probably heard this already - buts its on the news. Those few Arabic guys that were thrown off the plane for switching seats/praying? Not only are they attempting to sue the airline, they want to sue the Passengers that complained about their actions to the cabin stewards.
I personally hold the parents responsible for their behavior (assuming they were on the ship?). It's pretty hard to fall off a balcony unless you climbed the thing.
The worst part of this whole adventure on the seas is that the two nutbars were allowed to continue on their cruise.
Unless the balcony rail broke away and dropped into the sean with them, these two should be charged for the resue expenses and be taken back to solid ground immediately. And let's include a ban from sailing for the next 10 years on any cruiseline.
Let's see.... lawsuit to save another human life perhaps...?
Spend the money to save a life or throw it away...??
You think it is better to save the money from the expense in the legal system than to POSSIBLY save a life...?
Yes, you missed the boat.
Think about it
Mehawk, Just how did I miss the boat? BY adding another "I'm in convineinced" lawsuit to our alrteady overburdened court system? How is a lawsuit going to save a life? Most of these overboarders are being stupid or drunk, in which case a lawsuit will not stop the next one any more than the Cruise company's billing them for the extra expenses of a search and rescue (100's of thousands of dollars, without tieing up the court system).
Missed the boat? Don't think so, just don't believe in the I'm inconvinienced, so let me sue someone mentality that has taken over our country.
I see both of your points. Some action needs to take place to avoid or atleast make someone think twice (or more) about putting themselves at risk of falling off. A lawsuit might be the answer so it hits a pocket book but I really think the cruise lines can take control of this by not allowing people back on if this occurs and also charge the idiot rescue costs...
And to make matters worse, my wife is no longer looking forward to fun times on the balcony!
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You can have "fun" on the balcony just stay off of the rail.
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I think there is more to this story that we are not being or will ever be told.
1:30 in the morning and the man was found nude. Me thinks a little hanky panky was going on.
I think there is more to this story that we are not being or will ever be told.
1:30 in the morning and the man was found nude. Me thinks a little hanky panky was going on.
methinks you may be onto something! Mix in a little acrobatics!
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I think there is more to this story that we are not being or will ever be told.
1:30 in the morning and the man was found nude. Me thinks a little hanky panky was going on.
If you've ever been in water with your regular clothes on then you know how heavy they will become when soaked. I've taken a few classes on water rescue and know first hand. Maybe he removed his clothing after falling into the water to reduce his weight.
While there is a great possibility that they were fooling around, they also could have been drinking. Or maybe a double suicide? I guess we won't know unless some sort of report is filed.
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couple overboard
Can anyone say FISH FOOD? 
they were doing on the balcony - doesn't sound like they were practicing safe S.E.X
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