A significant rescue operation has been initiated after a passenger fell from the TUI-operated cruise ship Marella Explorer 2. The incident occurred north of the Canary Islands, prompting Spanish coastguards and police to respond swiftly. The alarm was raised yesterday morning as the adults-only vessel was en route from Madeira to the Canary Islands. Reports indicate that the ship's captain slowed the vessel to a near-stop and activated emergency protocols. These included reviewing surveillance footage, deploying marker buoys, and conducting circular search manoeuvres. According to Tenerife daily El Dia, the incident took place approximately 16 nautical miles from Punta de Teno, located at the northwestern tip of the island. Spanish coastguards have mobilised two specialist rescue vessels, including the Tenerife-based Salvamar Menkalinan, to assist in the search. An emergency helicopter is also supporting the operation from the air. Local reports suggest that a German-flagged yacht responded to the SOS call as well. As of late yesterday, the missing individual has been identified as a tourist, but authorities have not yet disclosed their identity, nationality, or the circumstances surrounding the fall. This lack of information is standard practice during initial investigations into cruise ship incidents. The Marella Explorer 2, which is Malta-flagged and built in 1995, has ten bars and ten restaurants, along with an open-air cinema and a Broadway-style theatre. The ship arrived in Santa Cruz, the capital of Tenerife, around 2.30am this morning. This incident follows another concerning case where an American woman, Ann Evans, aged 55, went missing from a cruise ship in the Caribbean. She disappeared during an organised island tour in Sint Maarten on November 20, after being seen leaving the Holland America Line Rotterdam ship. Authorities on both the Dutch and French sides of the island have been notified regarding her disappearance. The Marella Explorer 2 had embarked on a seven-day Canarian Flavours tour, with scheduled stops in Gran Canaria, Lanzarote, Fuerteventura, Madeira, and La Gomera. The search for the overboard passenger remains ongoing as authorities continue their efforts to locate them.