AN Irish woman had a lucky escape this week after she was rescued just minutes after falling overboard from a cruise ship in Italy.
The incident occurred on Monday while the MSC Seaview cruise liner was in port at the northwestern Italian city of Genoa.
The woman reportedly fell into the Mediterranean Sea before a quick-thinking crew member who saw what happened dived in to save her.
After being brought back on board, the Irish national was taken to a nearby hospital and reunited with the family members she had been travelling with.
In a statement, a spokesperson for MSC Cruises – the company that operates the ship – told Independent.ie: "The passenger was recovered in minutes and our medical staff provided first medical care on board.
"Shortly after, the passenger was taken ashore for further medical attention.
"MSC Cruises wishes to commend the crew member and shipboard teams that were involved in the salvage action and who acted in the quickest and most effective way, securing the safety of the concerned passenger.
"Also, we wish to thank the Coast Guard and local law enforcement for their support."
The MSC Seaview continued on its journey in the wake of the rescue and arrived on schedule at nearby La Spezia the following morning.
Swiss-based MSC Cruises describes itself as the largest privately-owned cruise company in the world and plans to expand its fleet of 16 liners to 29 by 2027, according to its website.
