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| Ms Longstaff lives in Spain but is from Britain |
A British woman has been pulled out of the sea alive 10 hours after falling from a cruise ship off the coast of Croatia.
The passenger, named as Kay Longstaff, was taken to hospital in the city of Pula and said she feels “very lucky” to have been rescued.
She reportedly fell from an aft deck of the Norwegian Star cruise ship about 60 miles (95km) off Croatia’s coast late on Saturday night.
A Croatian rescue ship was scrambled and found her swimming not far from where she was believed to have fallen.
The 46-year-old, understood to be from Brighton, gave an interview to the Croatia news service HRT saying she felt “very lucky” to have survived.
“I was in the water for 10 hours, so these wonderful guys rescued me,” she said.
“I am very lucky to be alive. I was sitting at the back of the deck.”
The rescue ship’s captain, Lovro Oreskovic, said that Ms Longstaff was exhausted.
He added that “we were extremely happy for saving a human life”.
David Radas, a spokesman at Croatia’s Ministry of Maritime Affairs, said that by checking CCTV, rescuers knew the exact moment she fell in the water.
“Because they knew the time, they were able to know the exact position of the ship,” he told The Sun.
Ms Longstaff is also said to have told one of her rescuers that yoga and singing helped her during her 10-hour ordeal.
The unnamed rescuer told The Sun: “She said the fact that she practices yoga helped her as she was fit. And she said she was singing to not feel cold in the sea overnight.”
A Norwegian Cruise Line spokesperson said: “In the morning of 19 August, a guest went overboard as Norwegian Star made her way to Venice.
“The Coast Guard was notified and a search and rescue operation ensued.
“We are pleased to advise that the guest was found alive, is currently in stable condition, and has been taken ashore in Croatia for further treatment.
“We are very happy that the individual, who is a UK resident, is now safe and will soon be reunited with friends and family.”
The circumstances of the incident are being investigated and the British Embassy in Croatia has been informed.
The cruise line’s website says the Norwegian Star was “recently refurbished” and features “15 delicious dining options, 10 bars and lounges and a sprawling spa”.
The site adds that the cruise offers “tonnes of fun for kids of every age”.
Pula is described as a “lively Roman outpost” by Lonely Planet, which boasts an ancient amphitheatre in the heart of the city.