Advertisement

'Stupid woman': Twist after woman falls overboard from cruise ship

A British woman who fell from a cruise ship and spent 10 hours in the Adriatic Sea has been branded as “stupid” and accused of lying about what actually happened.

Kay Longstaff, 46, was found floating some 83 kilometres off Croatia’s coast after she fell from the seventh deck of the Norwegian Star shortly before midnight on Saturday.

“It is a real miracle that she is alive,” captain of the Croatian rescue ship, Lovro Oreskovic, said after she was pulled from the ocean.

“Luckily for her we saw her immediately because she raised and waved her hands when she saw us.”

However, the mother of Andy Stuart, the cruise company’s president and chief executive, wasn’t quite as empathetic towards the rescued flight attendant.

British tourist Kay Longstaff leaves the Croatian Coast Guard vessel “Cavtat” in Pula, Croatia after being rescued from the Adriatic sea. Source: Reuters
British tourist Kay Longstaff leaves the Croatian Coast Guard vessel “Cavtat” in Pula, Croatia after being rescued from the Adriatic sea. Source: Reuters

“She didn’t fall off. She jumped. This has cost Norwegian Cruise Line $600,000. This stupid woman,” Mr Stuart’s mother told the Daily Telegraph.

“I spoke to Andrew at lunchtime. He phones me almost every day. What he said was ‘this is fake news’. He said that she couldn’t have fallen.

“You would have to take steps to climb over the railings. He said she jumped in the water.”

According to witness reports, Ms Longstaff had also been in a row with her partner on the ship before she fell.

Passenger ‘sang to stay awake’ after falling off cruise ship

Ms Longstaff speaks to press in Pula, Croatia, after being rescued. Source: Reuters
Ms Longstaff speaks to press in Pula, Croatia, after being rescued. Source: Reuters

While it’s unclear exactly how Longstaff ended up in the water, it’s no mystery how she stayed alive.

“She said the fact that she practices yoga helped her as she was fit,” a Croatian rescuer told the Sun.

“And she said she was singing to not feel cold in the sea overnight.”

It’s a sentiment echoed by Isabelle Du Soleil, Ph.D, a certified yoga & wellness expert in Los Angeles.

“Yoga practice allows you to know yourself and control your mind, your brain, your body, your nervous system as well as your energy,” Du Soleil tells Yahoo Lifestyle.