65-yr-old woman almost drowns while chasing down ship

March 28, 2016 7:42 PM

The British holidaymaker identified as Susan Brown, was reportedly rescued from the Atlantic after her extreme attempts to swim to her cruise liner after she assumed it had left port with her husband.

The Marco Polo

News reports have revealed a 65-yr-old womans experience after she had reportedly swam for four hours in a bid to catch the cruise liner she though her husband had boarded.

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The British holidaymaker identified as Susan Brown, was reportedly rescued from the Atlantic after her extreme attempts to swim to her cruise liner after she assumed it had left port with her husband.

Mrs Brown and her husband, Micheal Brown, 69, had reportedly cut short a 32 day tour which had begun in the West Indies on day 28 - with cruise operator Cruise & Maritime Voyages which had offered them flights out of the Portuguese island, flying back to Bristol on Saturday evening.

Mrs Brown who had lost her husband following an argument between them, somewhere in between the Madeira Airport and the cruise liner, had been convinced he had returned to the ship, hence her dare devil move.

The reports reveal that she had taken to the water after the ship had passed the coastal runway, griping her handbag all the while.

Mrs Brown had reportedly made it more than 1,600ft before she began struggling and had only been saved by passing fishermen who upon hearing her panicked screams shortly after midnight, came to her rescue.

The elderly woman had been pulled out of the ice cold water with severe hypothermia in the early hours of Sunday, after she had swam for over four hours and making a third of a mile out to sea, in her hopes of catching up with the Marco Polo.

Brothers, Leonardo and Carlos Correia as well as fellow fisherman, Marildo Freitas, claim to have rescued Mrs Brown, revealing that she had been half an hour from death when they had pulled her from the chilly water.

Speaking with MailOnline, Marildo said:

"I just saw her pale white face bobbing in the water. She was barely conscious – she’s lucky to be alive – I don’t think she would have lasted another 30 minutes."

Police have confirmed that Micheal, her husband, had not returned to the Marco Polo, meaning that her brave but silly move which could have been fatal, was for nothing.

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The cruise company revealed today, that Micheal had taken his flight back to Bristol and is now reportedly back home, adding that it is unknown if he would be returning to the island to visit his wife.