UPDATE:

The British woman who tried swimming back to the Marco Polo cruise ship on Saturday, March 26 was 65-year-old Susan Brown. It’s now known that she had a row with her husband while the vessel was making a port of call at Funchal, Madeira. According to Funchal Port Authority she jumped into the ocean at around 8pm and four hours later was pulled out, totally shiffering and still holding her handbag.

Cruise hive received the following statement from Cruise & Maritime Voyages:

Cruise & Maritime Voyages (CMV) has reported that two passengers Mr Michael Brown and Mrs Susan Brown disembarked the cruise ship Marco Polo, at their request and for personal reasons, in Funchal, Madeira on Saturday 26 March. Marco Polo is sailing to Bristol Avonmouth via Lisbon at the end of a 32 night cruise to the West Indies. Following their request, CMV assisted with Mr and Mrs Brown’s flight arrangements to the UK and taxi transfer from the ship to Madeira’s airport. Having departed Funchal, CMV was subsequently notified by their local port agent that Mrs Brown had been rescued at sea. CMV has been informed by local authorities that Mrs Brown’s condition is stable. On receiving this news CMV was naturally most concerned as it understood that the couple had flown back together to the UK. Mr Brown was contacted immediately back in the UK by CMV who offered assistance and attempted to gain some insight into what had transpired following Mr and Mrs Brown’s disembarkation. CMV also liaised with the Foreign Office who, after recuperation in a Funchal hospital, will be making arrangements for her repatriation. The company are providing every help and support to the couple.

PREVIOUSLY:

I can’t believe I’m reporting on this but apparently it is true, a 65-year-old British woman was cruising on the Marco Polo cruise ship operated by Cruise & Maritime Voyages. The woman was cruising with her husband and disembarked the ship when it called at Funchal, Madeira on Saturday.

According to local news the woman missed the ship when it departed the island at around 8pm. The 22,080 gross ton vessel was setting sail towards Lisbon, Portugal at the time. She got a taxi to Santa Cruz which is located on the east side of the island where Madeira Airport is located. On the way to the airport in Santa Cruz she saw the cruise ship sailing nearby. The British woman decided not to give up getting back onboard, she went into the ocean and began swimming towards the Marco Polo ship as it was sailing past towards its next port of call in Portugal.

As much as the passenger tried to get back onboard she failed. At around 500 meters from the shore, the woman still trying to swim with her handbag was surprisingly spotted by local fishermen. The fishermen picked up the woman and alerted authorities. If she wasn’t spotted it could have ended bad for her. During this time her husband was on the cruise ship and probably unaware what she was doing. The woman did suffer from Fatigue and hypothermia and taken to a local hospital.

The Marco Polo ship is sailing a 32-night treasures of the west indies cruise which is expected back in Bristol, UK on March 31.

What are your thoughts on this woman’s actions?