Pianist who plunged from Royal Caribbean cruise ship is found on brink of death 20 miles from coast by fishermen

Published: 11:59 EDT, 8 November 2026 | Updated: 12:17 EDT, 8 November 2026 A Royal Caribbean pianist was found fighting for his life after spending nearly nine hours treading water in the Pacific Ocean when he went overboard.Two fishermen who had set out to catch marlin found the unidentified man roughly 20 miles off the coast of Catalina Island, California, CBS reported.Sean Norton and Grant Garrett were fishing when they spotted what appeared to be a person in the water around noon.'I'm like, 'Yeah, it's a human being. Stop the boat; let's get all of our lines in,' Garrett told CBS.The pair rushed to pull the man aboard, finding him in shock after hours stranded at sea.'Grant and I each got an arm and lifted him up,' Norton said. 'He was in total shock.'Once he recovered enough to speak, the man told his rescuers he worked as a pianist aboard Royal Caribbean's 14-deck Ovation of the Seas.'The only thing he said to me was, 'Thank you. I thought I was gonna die,' Norton recalled. Sean Norton and Grant Garrett (pictured right) were fishing when they spotted what appeared to be a person in the water around noon. The pianist who fell from the cruise ship is pictured in red wearing a hat after being pulled on to their boat A Royal Caribbean pianist was found fighting for his life after spending nearly nine hours treading water in the Pacific OceanAn emergency maritime call prompted Newport Beach lifeguards to respond to the rescue.Battalion Chief Adam Yacenda told the outlet the man was found approximately 15 to 20 miles offshore, with authorities estimating he had gone overboard roughly nine hours earlier.The pianist was taken to a hospital and is expected to survive, according to the US Coast Guard, which is investigating how he ended up in the water.Norton suggested unusually warm ocean temperatures may have played a crucial role in the man's survival. Sean Norton (right) said that the man they rescued told him 'I thought I was going to die' Norton is seen here fishing from the boat just moments before spotting the person struggling in the water'You have this crazy super El Niño year. This guy was in the water for probably 10 hours, but the water's 76 degrees,' he said. 'A different year, no way he makes it.'The Ovation of the Seas was scheduled to return to Los Angeles on November 6 at approximately 7am Pacific time.Newport Beach lifeguards estimated the pianist had fallen overboard around 2.30am that morning, several hours before the ship's scheduled arrival.Royal Caribbean typically diverts its vessels and launches search operations when a passenger or crew member goes overboard. Newport Beach lifeguards estimated the pianist had fallen overboard around 2.30am that morning, several hours before the ship's scheduled arrival However, passengers aboard the Ovation of the Seas claimed no alerts appeared to have been issued following the incident, according to TheTravel.com., according to TheTravel.com.Authorities have not disclosed the pianist's identity or determined the circumstances surrounding his fall.A spokesperson from Royal Caribbean Group told the Daily Mail in a statement: 'We are providing support and assistance to our crew member during this difficult time. To respect the privacy of our employee, we have no additional details to share.'