British woman rescued following 10 hours in the sea after falling off cruise ship. / ITV
A British woman who allegedly jumped off a cruise ship after a drunken row with her boyfriend has received support from unexpected quarters — his ex-wife.
Air hostess Kay Longstaff, survived 10 hours floating in the Adriatic Sea off Croatia after plunging from the Norwegian Star on Saturday night as it sailed from Dubrovnik to Venice.
The 46-year-old later credited yoga with keeping her fit enough to survive and also said she sang to herself to keep calm in the open waters.
Kay Longstaff was rescued by Croatian coast guard, 10 hours after jumping from Norwegian Star. Photo / MORH, Supplied
Ms Longstaff insists she "fell" but fellow passengers have since claimed they witnessed a drunken argument between her and boyfriend shortly before her plunge from the ship's seventh deck.
"She didn't fall off, she jumped off. She took all her kit off and jumped off the side of the ship," a passenger told The Sun.
"This is what the crew told us when we were on the ship before disembarking. You can kind of tell by the pictures that she wasn't wearing much when she was rescued."
CCTV shows Ms Longstaff alone just before she went overboard.
Now Mr Rayment's ex-wife Kelly has spoken out in support of Ms Longstaff, telling British tabloid The Mirror: "If I was on a ship with him I would get off any way I could".
Ms Rayment, 38, said she had been married to the 43-year-old electrician for one year before the couple moved to Spain but they argued constantly and split soon after.
Air stewardess Kay Longstaff and boyfriend Craig Rayment were drinking and arguing 'all day' before her fall from the ship's second deck, passengers say. Photo / Supplied, Facebook.com
They were currently in the process of getting a divorce, she said.
"Craig's not a very nice person after he's been drinking," Ms Rayment said.
"So him going on a cruise is a recipe for disaster. I can imagine what she went through.
"I'm proud of myself for building up the courage to leave him and saying no when he begged me to come back."
Ms Rayment, who has sons aged 14 and 21 from a previous relationship, said she even warned Ms Longstaff to be careful after she began dating Mr Rayment last year.
Craig Rayment, 43, with 46-year-old girlfriend Kay Longstaff, who was plucked alive from the Adriatic Sea after plungeing from a cruise ship in Croatia. Photo / Supplied, Facebook.com
According to fellow cruise ship passengers, Ms Longstaff and Mr Rayment had been "drinking and having rows all day" before the dramatic incident.
"When the police came on to the ship — before letting us get off — they were going around asking after which staff members were serving us alcohol," one witness told the Daily Mail.
"I think they wanted to know who had been serving her. Her (partner) was looking for her for hours before the alarm was raised that she'd gone overboard."
A second person said Ms Longstaff and her partner "were arguing", adding: "This is what (the) concierge told us willingly."
A third passenger said he and his wife had occupied the cabin above hers at the rear of the ship.
Kay Longstaff with Croatian coast guard resucuers. Photo / MORH, Supplied
"When the incident was reported by the Captain, he said that an area in the middle of deck seven had been sealed off," the man said.
"When getting off the boat, seven hours late, a number of passengers were saying there had been a midnight dispute among the Longstaff party."
Norwegian Star crew member Daniel Punch also disputed Ms Longstaff's claim she fell accidentally, writing a Facebook post stating she had "jumped" and had been "arguing with her fella the whole time," the Daily Mail reported.
