Cruise ship passenger in Italy blown overboard by strong winds

FILE – The Gulf is set for a wet weekend with cruise ports expecting to see some rain. Over the summer, these same ports could be threatened by tropical activity and hurricanes, which could disrupt the cruise industry. If you’re planning to board a cruise this summer and encounter a storm, it’s important to be prepared. Ashley Kosciolek, senior cruise writer for The Points Guy, joins FOX Weather to advise you on navigating the seas this summer.

CATANIA, Italy – Winds were strong enough to blow a passenger overboard a cruise ship docked in Italy last Friday.

The passenger fell into the water off the Norwegian Epic docked in Catania, Sicily, according to a statement Norwegian Cruise Line made to several media outlets.

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FILE – The cruise ship Norwegian Epic sails past the Statue of Liberty July 1, 2010 in New York Harbor. The Norwegian Cruise Line ship, on her Maiden Voyage from Southampton to New York, is claimed to be the largest ship to ever dock in a New York Passenger Ship Terminal. 

(AFP PHOTO/DON EMMERT        (Photo credit should read DON EMMERT/AFP via Getty Images) / FOX Weather)

One passenger, Brian Koning, posted on social media that the 1,080-foot vacation liner broke loose from its moorings amid strong wind gusts around 1 p.m. local time.

“All ropes snapped with loud bangs,” Koning  wrote.

The FOX Forecast Center said wind gusts over 30 mph were reported at the nearby Catania-Fontanarossa Airport at the time.

The Norwegian Cruise Line Epic was built in 2010 and was last refurbished earlier this year. It can hold up to 4,070 guests, according to the company’s website.

FOX Weather reached out to Norwegian Cruise Line for a statement but has not yet heard back.