Ever heard of a miracle on the high seas? Buckle up because Sarah Kirby’s tale of survival is nothing short of extraordinary!
The Unthinkable Plunge
The shocking moment a woman fell off a cruise ship before being found alive in the water was captured on camera. It’s pretty rare that someone falls from one of these big boats and lives to tell the tale. But Sarah Kirby is one of the lucky few; here’s her incredible story.
Back in October 2012, Kirby was celebrating her 30th birthday on a cruise. On the first night, she decided to step out onto her stateroom’s balcony. She told Inside Edition, “I remember leaning back to look out at the ship and then falling.”
As the harrowing clip shows, Kirby dropped two stories, ricocheted off a lifeboat, and then plummeted another five stories into the pitch-black sea below. Footage from infrared cameras captures her figure tumbling along the side of the ship.
Stranded and Terrified
Imagine being alone in the vast, dark ocean with no land or lights in sight. Kirby described her initial feelings as ‘pure terror’ as she saw the ship sailing off into the distance. “I felt hopeless. Helpless and hopeless. It’s pitch black out there. There’s no land. No lights,” she recounted. Injured and alone, she managed to tread water for an exhausting 90 minutes until she was rescued.
“I kept praying to God, please don’t let me die, please don’t let something eat me like a shark,” she said, noting that she was bleeding into the water. Thankfully, her prayers were answered when a lifeboat was lowered into the ocean to rescue her.
Back on Board
When Kirby was finally rescued, passengers captured the moment as she was crying and sobbing, overwhelmed to have survived the terrifying ordeal. People on the ship described the scene as emotional, her friend Rebecca noting that Kirby’s face was swollen to “five times the normal size.” The cruise director made an announcement to the ship: “Folks, I have some very good news. We have found the guest. We have pulled her from the water and we are now bringing her back aboard the vessel.”
The Aftermath
Kirby admitted that she had been drunk while celebrating her birthday, which contributed to her accident. Her story serves as a stark reminder of how quickly a joyful moment can take a dark turn, especially when alcohol is involved.
YouTube viewers were shocked by the footage, some saying they “just died 4 times imagining it,” while others called it “one of the scariest things” they’d ever seen, agreeing that they would be terrified in that situation.
Sarah Kirby’s story is one of sheer luck, immense bravery, and the unbelievable resilience of the human spirit. So next time you’re on a cruise, take a moment to lean on the safer side—literally.
