Body found in search for passenger who 'fell overboard' on cruise ship near Fife

A body has been found in the search for a passenger who reportedly fell overboard from a cruise ship currently docked in Dundee.

Coastguard and RNLI crews, assisted by Police Scotland, launched a search and rescue operation in the city’s port from around 8.35am on Friday.

A man was feared to have fallen from the Ambassador Ambition in the North Sea, 40 nautical miles from Anstruther, before it arrived in the city on Friday.

A search involving RNLI crews from Anstruther and Broughty Ferry, and Coastguard Rescue Teams from Dundee, Arbroath and St Andrews was launched before a body was recovered from the water.

The family of the man reported missing has been notified, police confirmed.

A Police Scotland spokesperson said: “Around 8.55am on Friday, August 21, 2026, we received a report that a man had gone overboard from a cruise ship in the North Sea, 40 nautical miles from Anstruther, Fife.

“A search and rescue operation, carried out by police and partner agencies, has been ongoing, and a body has been recovered.

“Formal identification is yet to take place; however, the family of the man who was reported missing has been informed.”

Guests on board the ship were asked to remain on board while a ship-wide search was carried out. They have since been allowed to disembark.

The ship had been on a two-week solar eclipse tour of Shetland, Iceland and the Faroe Islands. It is set to head to Newcastle tonight, then onwards to Amsterdam.

A statement from Ambassador Cruise Line on Friday said: “Ambassador Cruise Line can confirm that the Captain of Ambition reported a missing person incident earlier this morning.

“The ship, which is now berthed in Dundee, was on passage from Lerwick to Dundee when the alarm was raised after it was found that a guest was not where they were expected to be.

“Guests on board have been kept informed of developments by the Captain, and a thorough ship-wide search was carried out on arrival in Dundee. Having initially been asked to remain on board while the search was carried out, guests have now been cleared to disembark.

“Ambassador follows stringent search and rescue protocols in line with international maritime safety standards. We continue to work in close collaboration with the Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC), The Maritime and Coastguard Agency, HM Coastguard and Police Scotland as the investigation continues.

“Ambassador remains committed to the safety and well-being of all our guests and crew. As a result of this development, today’s turnaround operation in Dundee was slightly delayed. However, guests due to travel on board Ambition should make their way to the port as per their embarkation schedule.

“We are unable to provide further details at this time due to this incident forming part of an ongoing police investigation.”