Man falls from AIDAperla cruise ship into English Channel, sparks major search

The man fell into the English Channel from the deck of the German AIDAperta cruise ship. Photo / Getty

A major rescue operation is under way after a man fell overboard from a cruise ship off the Kent coast.

HM Coastguard was called into action by the RNLI at 8.55am, local time, on Sunday and is coordinating the search near Ramsgate.

The search was still ongoing as of 3.10pm, local time, with lifeboats, the Coastguard’s helicopter and the cruise ship itself circling an area around 44 kilometres off of the most south-easterly point of the Kent coast.

The man fell into the Channel from the deck of the AIDAperta, a German cruise ship, which was reportedly travelling to Las Palmas, in the Canary Islands, from Hamburg.

The German cruise operator said there was “reason to believe” the man was a crew member after a search of the ship showed that a male staff member was missing.

The RNLI was alerted at 8.20am, local time, and sent out two all-weather lifeboats, with a crew from Ramsgate heading out first before a Dover crew followed minutes later.

HM Coastguard then joined the search deploying a helicopter and a search and rescue aeroplane with high-tech radar capabilities.

The cruise ship is understood to have turned around after realising that a person had gone overboard. Tracking data shows the ship passing Lydd, on the south coast, at around 9.10am, local time, before turning around and heading back out past the east Kent coast.

A spokesman for the cruise line said: “AIDA Cruises confirms that there is reason to believe that a crew member of AIDAperla went overboard in the English Channel in the early morning of Oct 22.

“The captain and crew of AIDAperla immediately initiated all necessary rescue measures in close coordination with the local authorities. The search on board confirmed that a male crew member is missing.

“The ship was immediately stopped and returned to the spot where the incident was believed to have occurred. The search for the missing person is ongoing and has our utmost priority.”