NEED TO KNOW

• A cruise ship was forced to evacuate after a man claimed he had an explosive device on board

• The incident took place while the vessel was in Southampton, England, on Aug. 9

• The 63-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of a public order offense and communicating false information

A cruise ship was forced to evacuate due to a bomb threat.

At around 11:46 a.m. local time on Saturday, Aug. 9, police were called to the Mayflower Cruise Ferry terminal in Southampton, England, after receiving reports of “a man claiming to be in possession of an explosive device,” Hampshire Police said in a statement obtained by PEOPLE.

Officers searched a large truck near the location, and ITV News reported that police formed a large barricade as they investigated the P&O Cruises ship Ventura.

Hampshire Police later confirmed that no explosive device was located during the search. “We are satisfied that there was no risk to the public,” they said.

Authorities said a 63-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of a public order offense and communicating false information. He was later released on bail, and he has a court hearing set for Nov. 8.

A P&O Cruises spokesperson said in a statement, per ITV News, “Due to an earlier police incident and in an abundance of caution, we made the decision to evacuate Ventura and the passenger terminal.”

“The safety of our guests, crew and port staff is our highest priority and we are grateful for the co-operation of the authorities, as well as everyone’s patience whilst the precautionary measures were in place,” the representative continued.

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In footage obtained byThe Mirror, armed police could be seen surrounding the cruise ship terminal as a man was handcuffed.

One passenger who witnessed the arrest told the outlet that he saw the man “being dragged out of his car by six armed policemen” with “tasers and guns.”

The eyewitness added that he saw staff “turning people away” from the cruise ship, while “a couple of thousand” were waiting to board the vessel.

The Southampton site where the search took place is run by Associated British Ports, according to ITV News.

A spokesperson for the company told the outlet, “We are aware of a security incident that occurred at the Port this morning, Saturday, Aug. 9. Police attended the scene and have since stood down. We will support any ongoing inquiries by the relevant authorities.”

P&O Cruises and Associated British Ports did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment on Sunday, Aug. 10.

Read the original article on People

Royal Caribbean passengers have broken their silence after a glass water slide shattered on board one of its cruise ships, leaving a guest with ‘skin lacerations’ on their arms and legs.

On August 2, the Royal Caribbean Icon of the Seas – the world’s biggest cruiser – left Miami, Florida, with plans to return on August 9.

However, tragedy struck just five days into holidaymakers’ once-in-a-lifetime trip; a glass waterslide shattered, causing an adult guest to ‘slice’ themselves open on a broken panel.

In footage captured onboard the vessel, water could be seen escaping the 46-foot-tall ‘Frightening Bolt Waterslide’ tube.

Recounting the terrifying incident, an anonymous passenger told NBC6. “We saw the gaping hole.

“The water was coming out. It was kind of disturbing to see it because it was a crazy slide, and it was really scary.”

Royal Caribbean confirmed that none of the guests onboard the Icon of the Seas – whose capacity is a whopping 7,600 passengers and 2,350 crew members – fell through the slide’s jagged gap.

Another traveller, who had reportedly travelled down the slide just 20 minutes before, added: “It’s a little frightening. It could’ve happened to us, and I’m glad it didn’t.”

When asked if they were informed that the malfunction had taken place, another cruiser replied in the negative.

“If you are not here, nobody knows,” they claimed.

Meanwhile, a woman named Sophia is now second-guessing whether she’ll ever go on a slide like the one damaged on the Icon of the Seas again.

“I will not be going on slides like that ever again,” she said. “Definitely not.”

As per Cruise Hive, a male was seen with ‘skin laceration injuries from his legs to his hands’.

According to a statement issued to NBC6 by the Royal Caribbean Group, the guest who was injured in the slide smash is currently being treated for his injuries.

“Our team provided medical care to an adult guest when acrylic glass broke off a water slide as the guest passed through the slide,” they said.

In a further update, the company added that the slide will remain closed for the rest of the ship’s voyage and that engineers will be assessing the damage.

“The company has not provided a timeline for reopening and is investigating whether the failure was due to a manufacturing defect, installation issue, or an unexpected impact.

“Other pools and water attractions on board remained open, but passengers noted an increase in visible safety checks across the ship in the days following the incident.”

In a statement to LADbible Group, the spokesperson added: “The health and safety of our guests, crew, and the communities we visit are our top priority.

“To maintain an environment that supports the highest levels of health and safety onboard our ships, we implement rigorous cleaning procedures, many of which far exceed public health guidelines.”

Witnesses have now spoken out about the horrific incident where a waterslide broke and ‘sliced’ a passenger on the world’s biggest cruise ship.

On Thursday (August 7), passengers aboard Royal Caribbean‘s ‘Icon of the Seas’ ginormous cruise liner could do little but watch on in horror and desperately try to alert operators after a fellow traveller was left injured by the ‘Frightening Bolt’ attraction.

The vessel was out at sea between Miami and the firm’s private island, Perfect Day at CocoCay, when a section of the slide cracked and created a jagged edge of acrylic glass.

The crack appeared to turn into a huge hole, forcing water to come gushing out, while the unsuspecting passenger tried to pass the dangerous spot.

The unnamed man is believed to have sustained lacerations to his back and legs while attempting to pass down the water slide from the 16th floor of the ship, though Royal Caribbean officials have confirmed the guest did not fall through the hole.

He is believed to be in stable condition.

At the time, echoes of ‘Oh my God’ and desperate pleas to ‘Stop the slide!’ were heard all around the lower decks from passengers, who could see the damaged portion of the slide and water funnelling out while fearing the worst for the injured adult.

Now, several passengers have spoken out about what they saw, with many even claiming the traumatic incident may have put them off cruises for life.

“We saw the gaping hole,” one person said to NBC6. “The water was coming out. It was kind of disturbing to see it because it was a crazy slide, and it was really scary.”

Another recalled how they had just been on the slide a mere 20 minutes prior to the incident, while someone else said: “It’s a little frightening. It could’ve happened to us, and I’m glad it didn’t.”

“I will not be going on slides like that ever again,” another passenger, called Sophia, said. “Definitely not.”

The passengers also claimed they were never told anything by officials as it happened nor afterwards, allowing rumors of the malfunctioning slide and the status of the injured victim to spread among fellow guests.

In a statement to the outlet, a spokesperson for Royal Caribbean said: “The guest is being treated for his injuries. The water slide is closed for the remainder of the sailing pending an investigation.”

The company has since reiterated that the slide ‘remained closed for the rest of the voyage while engineers assessed the damage’.

“The company has not provided a timeline for reopening and is investigating whether the failure was due to a manufacturing defect, installation issue, or an unexpected impact,” the statement continued. “Other pools and water attractions on board remained open, but passengers noted an increase in visible safety checks across the ship in the days following the incident.”

Meanwhile, in an additional comment to UNILAD, a Royal Caribbean spokesperson added: “The health and safety of our guests, crew, and the communities we visit are our top priority.

“To maintain an environment that supports the highest levels of health and safety onboard our ships, we implement rigorous cleaning procedures, many of which far exceed public health guidelines.”

While in an earlier statement, the cruise liner addressed the incident and confirmed that it was a man who was injured, before adding that its team team ‘provided medical care’ to the guest after ‘acrylic glass broke off a water slide as the guest passed through the slide’.

“The water slide is closed for the remainder of the sailing pending an investigation,” it said.