Woman dies after cruise ship overboard alert near Channel Islands

Channel Islands Air Search A black and white photo of a helicopter over the sea with rotors turning.Channel Islands Air Search

A casualty from the MSC Virtuosa was located by a French helicopter crew

A woman has died after she went overboard from a cruise ship near the Channel Islands, say rescue services.

An alert was sent out at about 02:00 BST for a search for the woman in her 20s north of Les Casquets rocks, west of Alderney.

The French search and rescue service said the casualty from the MSC Virtuosa was winched from the sea by a helicopter crew and was later pronounced dead by doctors.

An investigation is under way into the death by UK and French police, the service said.

Map showing Les Casquets, France, Alderney, Jersey and Guernsey

The casualty was winched from the north of Les Casquets

A plane from Channel Islands Air Search was sent to the scene from Guernsey, along with lifeboat crews from Alderney and France and the French helicopter crew based near Cherbourg.

The cruise ship is currently berthed at Southampton docks.

The owners of the ship have been approached for comment.

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