Coast Guard searching for man who fell overboard from Carnival cruise ship near Florida

Table Of Content

• MORE: Royal Caribbean to offer Starlink internet on all its ships
• Man Overboard and Missing From Royal Caribbean Cruise Ship
• MSC Cruises says a passenger jumped from one of its ships while sailing from Europe to South America
• Search suspended for man who fell overboard from Carnival cruise ship near Florida

The Coast Guard announced that they called off the search on November 16. The passenger, who was traveling with his partner, has not been identified, Cruise Hive reported. A passenger sailing with Carnival Cruise Line was returned safely to shore Thursday after going overboard. Overboards are particularly grim when the ship is moving, as the vessel's speed and current mean that a person can be swept away quickly. If they aren't immediately seen, it can be a while before the captain realizes what has happened. When it's determined that someone has gone over the side, the bridge — the ship's control center — will contact the coast guard, and a search will begin.

MORE: Royal Caribbean to offer Starlink internet on all its ships

Take note of the place where the man overboard happened, as well as the time and any details you noticed, as you will likely be asked to give a report to Guest Services. Stay out of the way of any emergency personnel who are trying to do their jobs as well. According to a CLIA report, only 28.2% of passengers who fell overboard between 2009 and 2019 were successfully rescued. A 20-year-old man who was vacationing with his family on a cruise may have jumped overboard, The New York Post reported.

Man Overboard and Missing From Royal Caribbean Cruise Ship

The U.S. Coast Guard assisted the Carnival crew with search and rescue and told ABC News they found the man in the water shortly after 8 p.m. A search and rescue operation does take some time, so it's likely that you might lose some hours in port or need to make a detour. The ship will do everything in its power to make sure other passengers make their flights home if the delay will alter disembarkation. Cruise industry blog Cruise Hive reported members of the ship's crew spent approximately three hours searching for the passenger before the ship moved on. The cruise ship will then turn around as soon as possible to reach the area where the person landed in the water.

MSC Cruises says a passenger jumped from one of its ships while sailing from Europe to South America

For example, if they do fall, it's because they've climbed onto a railing or somewhere else they shouldn't be. "The ship's crew immediately launched a search and rescue effort alongside the US Coast Guard, who has taken over the search," the Royal Caribbean spokesperson said. "We greatly appreciate the efforts of all, most especially the U.S. Coast Guard and the mariner who spotted the guest in the water," the Coast Guard said in a statement Thursday to ABC News. Grimes was aboard the five-day cruise with 18 of his family members for Thanksgiving.

Coast Guard searching for man who went overboard from cruise ship near Bahamas - Miami Herald

Coast Guard searching for man who went overboard from cruise ship near Bahamas.

Posted: Thu, 04 Apr 2024 07:00:00 GMT [source]

It's impossible to discuss cruise-ship man-overboard incidents without mentioning that some of them are, in fact, intentional. Passengers caught up in a physical fight or wishing to do harm could push someone off the ship, though it would take some effort. "The ship's crew immediately launched a search and rescue operation and is working closely with local authorities."

In all cases, cruise lines have at least one crew member trained in evidence collection and investigation techniques who will be in charge of the case until the FBI or local authorities can take over. Family members or travel companions onboard generally disembark at the next available port, where the cruise line may assist with arrangements to return home. The cruise line will also attempt to notify the emergency contact provided by all passengers in their check-in documents. If the seas are rough, it not only makes it difficult for a person to swim, it's also tough for emergency staff to find them in the water. Other factors include the temperature of the sea; hypothermia can begin to set in when the water is less than 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Lupoli said the Coast Guard released the ship from the search efforts and it continued to Port Canaveral.

When the unidentified man went overboard, Liberty of the Seas was nearing the end of a 4-night Eastern Caribbean sailing that embarked on Monday, April 1, 2024, from Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The ship called on Puerto Plata/Amber Cove in the Dominican Republic on April 3, and was on its way back to Fort Lauderdale when the man went into the water 57 miles from the Great Inagua island in the Bahamas. It’s also unclear why or how the man went overboard, and if it was an accident or on purpose. Some passengers onboard have said they believe the man jumped after an argument with his girlfriend, but this has not been confirmed by the authorities or the cruise line. According to the Washington Post, about 386 people were reported to have gone overboard on the major cruise lines between 2000 to 2020. A cruise turned into a nightmare for people aboard Royal Caribbean’s Liberty of the Seas when a young man jumped overboard shortly after 4 a.m.

Man jumps from Carnival Cruise Line ship 55 miles off Florida coast

Any time an overboard occurs, cruise lines offer assistance to friends, family or other travel companions traveling with the passenger in question. Of the 212 overboard incidents mentioned earlier, 48 of those (roughly 28%) were rescued alive, CLIA reports. A Carnival cruiser who fell off a ship over Thanksgiving 2022 made headlines when he was rescued after spending close to 20 hours in the Gulf of Mexico. If you witness someone falling off a cruise ship, throw them a life buoy or other flotation device if you're near one.

What Does the Ship Do to Try to Rescue the Passenger?

The U.S. Coast Guard is conducting the search at sea for the crew member. The crew member was noted missing when the ship docked at Fort Lauderdale Saturday. "The staff were all out on safety posts, there was not a space or inch on the boat where there wasn't a staff member shining a torch in the water." Ms West said the Royal Caribbean cruise staff "were amazing" and have kept all passengers updated throughout the ordeal.

Officers will attempt to pinpoint when and where the incident happened, allowing the search to cover a particular radius where the individual is predicted to be. The search will be called off after either the passenger is found or the ship is cleared by the coast guard to continue its voyage. Between 2009 and 2019, there have been 212 man overboard incidents on cruise ships, according to a Report on Operational Incidents issued by the Cruise Lines International Association. A 28-year-old man who went overboard while on a Carnival cruise ship in the Gulf of Mexico was rescued by the U.S. Because a man overboard situation can happen on any vessel in any part of the world, there are no specific statistics compiled by the U.S. government.

"The Carnival Care Team is providing support to the guest’s companion and traveling party who are on board," Carnival said. Carnival Valor had said in a statement to ABC News that it conducted a search-and-rescue operation after Grimes went missing. "We are beyond grateful that this case ended with a positive outcome," said Lt. Seth Gross, a Coast Guard Sector New Orleans search-and-rescue mission coordinator.

Coast has been notified and is currently searching the sea for the crew member. Accidental overboards can happen when cruisers have had too much to drink and climb on top of railings, enter restricted areas or attempt dangerous — and potentially fatal — stunts like climbing from balcony to balcony. One sad story involved a grandfather holding his baby granddaughter up to an open window to see the view and then losing his grip and dropping her. The sheriff's office homicide and crime scene units were dispatched to Port Everglades to investigate.

Grimes said he treaded water for nearly 20 hours after falling overboard on Thanksgiving Eve -- battling jelly fish, rip currents and shark-infested waters before being airlifted by the U.S. Meanwhile, Carnival Cruise Line said its Care Team “is supporting the missing guest's family on board” the ship, which "arrived today to Montego Bay, Jamaica as planned." Security footage from the Carnival Glory “shows the man jumping off the cruise ship,” according to a Tuesday night update from the Coast Guard. Coast Guard Cutter Seneca and crews from Coast Guard Air Station Miami are leading the search to find the missing cruiser, who thus far has not been found.

Chances of survival vary, depending on the circumstances of the fall. A passenger could be injured if they hit part of the ship as they fall. Should they survive the fall, water temperature also plays a significant role in how long a person can remain alive.

You have a better chance of waiting out a rescue in the warm Caribbean sea than in chilly Alaskan waters. Here's everything you need to know about what happens in a "man overboard" situation on a cruise ship and how to make sure it doesn't happen to you. "All of us at Holland America Line are deeply saddened by this incident and our thoughts and prayers are with the team member's family at this difficult time," the cruise line said in a statement. "They broadcast several times that there was a suspected man overboard situation and that the crews were following their procedures. The ship, the Royal Caribbean's Quantum of the Seas, halted its course after the incident, which took place about 500 nautical miles south of Hawaii's Big Island, and took part in the initial search for about two hours.

When a passenger fell off Oasis of the Seas in November 2015, the ship came to a stop in six minutes, traveling almost a mile from the site before it could turn around. As a passenger, you might feel the ship's movements as it performs these maneuvers. Most people do not "fall" off ships, as railings are purposefully built high enough to prevent accidents. The ship's security cameras frequently indicate evidence that going overboard situations are intentional or result from a passenger's actions.