A British woman, Ms. Longstaff, fell overboard from the cruise liner, Norwegian Star, off Croatia. The incident happened on Sunday, August 19. She was found ten hours later, exhausted but still alive, around 60 miles (95 kilometers) out to sea. According to Sky News, the ordeal lasted into the night so she was "singing [which] helped her fight off the cold as night fell." In addition to that, she does a lot of yoga and is fit, which may have helped her through the terrifying incident.

Woman went overboard off the back deck 60 miles from land

The Times UK reported that she was finally rescued at around midnight last night (local time).

She spoke to Croatia News outlet, HRT, telling them she knew she was extremely "lucky" to still be alive. She added that she "was sitting at the back of the deck." Exactly how she fell overboard isn't known, but ten hours in the water must have been utterly exhausting. In fact, the rescue ship's captain, Lovro Oreskovic, noted that she was swimming, but was exhausted.

He said that it was very satisfying to rescue a person, knowing that someone's life had been saved. Apparently, she was not that far from where she actually went overboard the cruise liner. In a statement by Croatia's Ministry of Maritime Affairs, spokesperson David Radas, noted that as CCTV footage was able to mark the exact time she fell into the water, it was easier to calculate her probable whereabouts.

The British woman was taken to hospital in Croatia

The woman was taken to a hospital in Pula, Croatia, Times UK noted. The vessel itself was on its way to Venice. Now there will be an investigation into the incident in terms of Maritime Safety laws. But for one passenger, there is probably a happy reunion with her loved ones and family ahead.

In the meantime, @DivaKnevil took to Twitter and posted a photo that seems to indicate that the area where she fell off the ship has been taped off from access.

Apart from drowning, there may have been other dangers

The obvious dangers Ms. Longstaff had to cope with were hypothermia and drowning from exhaustion. However, there were other potentially life-threatening issues. Sharks do occur during the summer months in the Adriatic. According to Sharknewz.com, "In October 2008 a 43-year old spearfishermen was attacked in the waters around Vis Island in Smokvina Bay, Dalmatian Coast (Croatia) by a 5m long great white." Although not very common, there were also recorded shark attacks in the 1950s, 60s, and 70s. Some of them were fatal.
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