A 44-year-old woman from El Salvador was pulled alive from the Ionian Sea on Saturday after spending roughly 20 hours in...

A 44-year-old woman from El Salvador was pulled alive from the Ionian Sea on Saturday after spending roughly 20 hours in the water following an overboard incident off Greece's western coast. She was found conscious inside a lifebuoy by a cargo ship participating in the search, about 72 nautical miles southwest of Zakynthos. The woman had gone overboard from Royal Caribbean's Odyssey of the Seas in the early hours of Friday, while the ship was sailing from Mykonos to Naples. A coastguard spokesperson told AFP that the woman said she jumped because she wanted to disembark. The Katakolo Port Authority has opened a preliminary investigation into the circumstances. The Joint Rescue Coordination Center alerted port authorities in Zakynthos, Katakolo, and Pylos shortly after the incident. The search involved two Hellenic Coast Guard vessels, an Air Force Super Puma helicopter, and several merchant ships in the area. The Odyssey of the Seas also reversed course and joined the search operation. A floating lifebuoy light spotted during the search guided rescuers toward her location. The Madeira-flagged cargo ship MSC Rossella III ultimately found her conscious and inside the lifebelt. A coast guard vessel then retrieved her and administered first aid before bringing her to the port of Katakolo. From Katakolo, she was transferred by EKAB ambulance to the Andreas Papandreou General Hospital in Pyrgos for medical examination and observation. Passenger accounts shared online said she was treated for hypothermia and was able to walk after coming ashore. The Odyssey of the Seas canceled its scheduled Naples stop and returned to its home port of Civitavecchia. #Greece #IonianSea #HellenicCoastGuard