An Irish woman has been rescued after she fell overboard a cruise ship in Italy on Monday.

She was rescued by a brave crew member, who dived into the sea and saved the woman.

The MSC Seaview cruise ship was in port at the Italian city of Genoa when the Irish woman fell overboard.

A staff member, who is a skilled sailor, saw her fall into the Mediterranean sea.

The crew member then reacted quickly, dived in and rescued the woman.

In a statement to Independent.ie, a spokesperson for MSC Cruise, the cruise ship company who operated the ship, explained that the woman was recovered "in minutes".

"The passenger was recovered in minutes and our medical staff provided first medical care on board," the statement reads.

"Shortly after, the passenger was taken ashore for further medical attention."

It is understood that the woman was taken to Galliera hospital nearby.

The woman was then joined by fellow family members, who were also on the cruise with her.

According to the cruise company, the crew member who provided assistance is in good health.

"MSC Cruises wishes to commend the crew member and shipboard teams that were involved in the salvage action and who acted in the quickest and most effective way, securing the safety of the concerned passenger," the statement added.

"Also, we wish to thank the Coast Guard and local law enforcement for their support," the spokesperson concluded.

The cruise ship continued in its journey and arrived on schedule yesterday morning in La Spezia, a neighbouring city on the Italian coast.

MSC Cruises is the largest privately owned cruise company in the world, with 15 cruise ships sailing all over the world, including the Mediterranean and the Caribbean.

Online Editors