Rory Foy was taking a break from his job of firefighting, enjoying a well-deserved break on a cruise through Honduras. However, his break from heroics was short-lived, after a passenger fell overboard.
Foy took little time to respond, instantly jumping into the water, grabbing a flotation device that was thrown to him, and swimming to the distressed person to assist them.
The Dublin Fire Brigade wrote on social media: “Firefighter/Paramedic Rory Foy who is on holiday in Honduras sprang into action after a person fell overboard when a cruise ship was docking in port.
“Rory, who is a swift water rescue technician took a lifebuoy thrown by a bystander and swam to the person with it. Here’s hoping the rest of the holiday is quieter!
There isn’t confirmation yet on which cruise line or cruise ship the incident took place, but the timing of a Harmony of the Seas visit to Roatan in Honduras, appears to fit the case. However, the cruise line is yet to issue an official release.
Comments heap praise upon the heroic act
Irish locals were quick to applaud the heroic act, paying tribute to the Foy’s brave and quick-thinking actions.
David Morrissey wrote: “The mind is never off duty! Hope the cruise company compensated a free cruise.”
Paula Cullen wrote: “Amazing! How lucky was that person that Rory was there? Hope the cruise company looks after him well for the rest of his trip!”
Gary Doc wrote: “That’s heroism there, a skilled lifesaver is never off duty, just built differently. Well done Rory we salute you for still saving lives and doing our nation proud”
Susan Killoran wrote: “Amazing, what are the chances of been in the right place at the right time, well done!”
Hundreds of similar comments followed, each saluting Foy for his actions, and even a comment from his brother John, expressing his pride for his family member.
Falling off cruise ships
Depending on your perspective, falling off a cruise ship is both surprisingly common and incredibly unlikely. For example, between 2009 and 2019, according to a report on operation incidents by CLIA, there was an average of 19 people falling overboard each year.
You can’t be blamed for thinking this number sounds surprisingly high, however, the chances of it happening to you are minutely small. The figure of 19 people sounds like a lot, but for example, in 2019, nearly 30 million people cruised worldwide, which means 19 people falling off which puts an individual’s chances at significantly less than one in a million.
These figures may also include people who unfortunately went overboard on purpose, meaning the incidence of accidental overboard is even smaller.
The incident in question in Honduras luckily happened during the docking of a ship, making it a less high-risk situation in general. However, again, unfortunately, when people fall off ships in the open ocean, the survival rate isn’t very high, accounting for both the initial fall and rescue efforts afterward. Approximately 30% of people who fall off a ship manage to survive the experience.
However, the good news is that it’s almost essentially impossible to fall off a ship just by accident. The CLIA report also stated that every single case had been investigated to be “an intentional or reckless act”, meaning that in cases that didn’t involve intention, passengers were deeply under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
This means that falling off a cruise ship doesn’t need to be a concern of yours, but it’s good to take obvious precautions such as not wandering into restricted areas and if you’re hitting the drinks hard, stay away from any balconies or edges.
It’s not currently clear how the passenger that Foy rescued fell off the ship, but it may have happened while exiting the ship, rather than while sailing.
