On May 19 in Costa Maya, an elderly passenger fell from a pier and ended up in the water as passengers returned to the Carnival Jubilee. Fellow traveler Myron Tucker jumped in, secured the struggling man on his shoulder and kept him afloat until ship security and bystanders pulled them from the sea. Carnival confirmed the guest received medical care aboard the ship and later disembarked in Galveston, Texas, and acknowledged Tucker's actions with a complimentary dinner.
Hero Aboard Carnival Jubilee Dives Into Sea to Save Elderly Passenger in Costa Maya
The 'Carnival Jubilee'Credit: Sina Schuldt/picture alliance via Getty
On May 19, while the Carnival Jubilee was docked in Costa Maya, Mexico, an elderly passenger fell from a pier and ended up in the water as fellow travelers were returning to the ship. Passengers' video footage and eyewitness accounts later showed a bystander sprinting toward the scene and jumping into the sea to help.
Passenger Rescue: According to a Carnival Cruise Line spokesperson, the ship's security team responded immediately. A fellow guest, identified by his wife on social media as Myron Tucker, dove into the water and reached the struggling man. Witnesses say Tucker was able to get the elderly passenger onto his shoulder and keep him afloat until crew and bystanders helped lift them both out of the water.
'I don't want to see nobody lose their life,' Tucker told local outlet KATV, crediting his parents and the skills he feels blessed to have for motivating his actions.
Carnival confirmed the rescued guest was transported to the ship's medical center for evaluation and later disembarked when the vessel returned to Galveston, Texas. Carnival acknowledged the guest who entered the water and said the company provided the couple with a complimentary dinner as a thank-you for their actions.
The 'Carnival Jubilee' cruise shipCredit: Sina Schuldt/picture alliance via Getty
Context and Reaction
Video shared on TikTok by Amy Tucker on May 28 captured the chaotic scene — people screaming and pointing toward the water — and showed the moment a bystander leapt into the sea. The Carnival Jubilee, a 183,521-gross-ton ship that entered service in 2023, is operating seven-day Western Caribbean sailings from Galveston and can accommodate 5,362 guests at double occupancy.
Officials praised the quick response by both the passenger and ship security. There have been no reports of life-threatening injuries after the incident; Carnival's prompt medical response and the bystander's intervention were credited with preventing a worse outcome.
Note: Names and details are drawn from eyewitness accounts, social posts and Carnival's public statement. The rescued passenger's current condition beyond disembarkation has not been publicly detailed.
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