Global News Edmonton has reported:

A 44-year-old Salvadorian woman was rescued nearly 20 hours after going overboard from a Royal Caribbean cruise ship in the Ionian Sea near Zakynthos, Greece. The incident happened on the morning of Oct. 9, while the ship was sailing southwest of the island, and a cargo vessel found her on Oct. 10, according to the Hellenic Coast Guard.

The coast guard said a “local emergency plan was immediately activated” and a search began. The Hellenic Coast Guard, a Hellenic Coast Guard Patrol Vessel (HCV), passing ships and a Super Puma helicopter from the Hellenic Air Force took part.

The cargo ship found the woman conscious and floating inside a lifebuoy. Footage released by the Hellenic Coast Guard shows crew members spotting her in the dark water and throwing her a rope. She grabbed it and pulled herself towards the vessel.

An ambulance took the woman to hospital for medical monitoring and examinations, the coast guard said. The Katakolo Port Authority is conducting a preliminary investigation.

A Royal Caribbean Group spokesperson told USA Today the ship “immediately launched a search and rescue effort and are working with authorities” after the woman went overboard. The spokesperson said the company’s Care Team was assisting the guest’s loved ones, adding: “Our Care Team is actively providing support and assistance to the guest’s loved ones during this difficult time. For the privacy of the guest and their family, we have no additional details to share,” the spokesperson added.

Global News said it had sought further comment from Royal Caribbean Group but had not received a response.

The rescue came nearly one month after a passenger went overboard from the Carnival Panorama, a Carnival Cruise Line ship travelling from Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, to Long Beach, California. The incident involved a 56-year-old man aboard a seven-night cruise that visited several coastal communities in Mexico before returning to southern California. A Carnival Cruise spokesperson told NBC News and ABC News that the man went overboard while the ship was sailing between Puerto Vallarta and Long Beach.

“Carnival Cruise Line confirmed that a male guest aboard Carnival Panorama jumped overboard while the ship was sailing from Puerto Vallarta, Mexico to Long Beach, California,” a Carnival Cruise Line spokesperson said in a statement to the outlets. “When notified of a missing guest, the ship’s team initiated search and investigation procedures, including reviewing CCTV footage and notifying both the U.S. and Mexico Coast Guards. Carnival is providing support to the family who was traveling with the guest, and our thoughts and prayers are with them and their loved ones,” the spokesperson added.

In a statement to Global News, the U.S. Coast Guard said it was “searching for a 56-year-old man reported overboard from the cruise ship Carnival Panorama off the coast of Mexico.” A Coast Guard spokesperson said the cause of the man going overboard was under investigation.

The search was suspended after more than 41 hours of effort, the U.S. Coast Guard announced in a press release. “Our deepest condolences go out to the family and loved ones of Mr. Tom Gigler,” said Capt. Jessica Davila, chief of incident management for the Coast Guard Southwest District. “Decisions to suspend search operations are never easy and are made with careful consideration of all available information. Our hearts are with those impacted by his loss.”