Twitter/ @matthew_kuhn

Cruise Ship Passenger Miraculously Survives Steep Fall Off Vessel

A Royal Caribbean passenger is thanking her lucky stars ... after miraculously surviving a terrifying fall off a cruise ship all the way from the 10th deck.

According to the U.S. Coast Guard, a 42-year-old woman on RC's Mariner of the Seas ship went overboard Sunday about 27 nautical miles south of Punta Cana ... with crew members quickly launching a rescue mission to find the fallen passenger.

You see what appears to be a couple of empty life rafts next to some smoke -- apparently emanating from flares -- as guests onboard the cruise ship anxiously looked out to the ocean, hoping to spot her. Thankfully, the team eventually found her and picked her up in their rescue vehicle.

Matthew Kuhn, who filmed the rescue video, told Fox35 he feared the worst during the search ... saying "I was like, someone just died." He says everyone was on their balcony at the time, and was cheering together once she was finally found.

The woman didn't require medical attention, despite the steep fall ... but she was taken to the hospital for evaluation.

The ship continued its voyage after the ordeal, and is set to return to Port Canaveral on July 1 -- we're assuming whoever's waiting for the woman at home will be over the moon when she steps back on dry land.

Click here for info about our online advertising practices.