Ernesto Guzman
Airforce Cadet Dives Overboard After Lover Falls Overboard
Princess Cruise Lines - Grand Princess - March 25, 2007
A couple involved in a lovers tyst on their balcony went into the Gulf Of Mexico off the Grand Princess about eight hours after leaving the port of Galveston, Texas for a Caribbean Cruise. The ship was about 150 miles off shore, heading out on the voyage, when a 20 year old college student fell overboard. Guzman dove into the Gulf Of Mexico after her.
Friends inside the cabin say the two were on the cabin balcony about 1:30am, when they heard screams. Arriving on the ninth story balcony, the couple was nowhere to be seen, and the friends alerted the man (and woman) overboard alarm.
The ship notified the U.S. coast guard and turned around about 10 minutes after getting the man overboard report and launched their rescue boats to search for the two missing passengers.
Capt. Ed Perrin, a Briton with some 20 years experience, "turned around rather immediately" and attempted to retrace his path, taking into account such variables as current and wind, Princess spokeswoman Julie Benson said.
The ship’s crew used high-powered spotlights and rescue boats in the search. One passenger was rescued by the ship’s boats at 5:30 a.m. and the other at 6 a.m., according to a statement by the cruise line. However, that man was found naked. Later he was seen on deck in a wheelchair.
Passengers said that at about 6:00am they heard the captain say, “We think we hear a woman. Please everyone, complete silence”. Everyone ran out onto their balconys and looked into the water. Then, they heard the woman screaming "help". She was waving her arms and swimming. The rescue boat threw a rescue loop to her, which she put over her head, and then under her arms so she could get pulled up out of the water.
The man was later described as Air Force Academy Cadet 2nd Class Ernesto Guzman, who said the woman, Clarice Partee fell overboard, and he jumped in after her to save her life. Guzman, had Air Force Academy survival training, and says he removed his clothing in the water to create a floatation device, per his survival training. (see page two of the case for different version)
Academy spokesman Meade Warthen said Guzman credited his survival with training he received at the academy.
All cadets are required to take an extensive water survival course, which includes how to leap into the water from a high-dive platform and how to stay afloat by inflating clothing with air. The rigorous training is designed for pilots who might be forced to ditch an aircraft at sea.
An academy spokesman said officials from the school had talked to Guzman, a junior, by telephone and confirmed that he and his friend are doing well.
The female passenger, Clarice Partee, is a twenty-year old lifeguard attending a Colorado university. Her hometown is Little Rock, Arkansas.
Guzman continued on the voyage, while Partee got off the ship in Mexico. Reports say she was seeking further treatment.
Petty Officer 3rd Class Thomas Blue at the Coast Guard’s New Orleans headquarters said the service has determined what happened on the ship was an accident and doesn’t require further investigation.
The ship reports both were examined by onboard medical personnel and are in satisfactory condition. Guzman suffered from jellyfish stings and Partee suffered a broke a rib. The pair are both being treated for hypothermia from the 71-degree water. The waves were swelling up to 6 feet, and the wind was gusting to 30 mph. Neither had been wearing a life jacket.
The search was aided by the Coast Guard, said Lt. j.g. Jillian Lamb at the District 8 Command Center.
Houston Coast Guard Lt. Kevin Kurczewski said a rescue helicopter and jet were deployed at 3 a.m. to search for them.
A nearby cruise ship also offered assistance.
The nearly five hours lost to the search were made up "just by increasing the speed," Julie Benson said. "The ship will be maintaining its original schedule."
Benson further stated, "You cannot just fall off a ship," said Princess Lines' spokeswoman Julie Benson, describing the occurrence as "extremely rare ... this hasn't happened to Princess, that I can recall." This seems to be true, as the story unfolded in the coming days.
The ship had just departed for a seven day West Caribbean cruise scheduled to arrive in Costa Maya (Mahahual), Mexico at 10:00 AM on March 27, Roatan, Honduras at 8:00am on March 28, Belize City, Belize at 7:00 AM on March 28 and Cozumel, Mexico at 8:00 AM on March 29. The ship is due back on Saturday March 31, 2007 at 7am. Balcony cabins were going for $849.00 per person.
This case continues on Page 2, see the links below.
Ernesto Guzman
Event Date: March 25, 2007
Bruise: Overboard
Bruise Location: Gulf Of Mexico
Age: 22
Home Town: Colorado Springs, CO
Details:
