Coast Guard ends search for cruise passenger who says Carnival hopped

• The US Coast Guard has stopped its search for a 30-year-old man who went to sea on the Carnival cruise ship.
• A Carnival spokesperson told Insider that security footage showed the man jumping off the coaster.
• This is the sixth Carnival incident reported by men on the ship since 2022, according to Ross A. Klein.

The US Coast Guard has stopped its search for a 30-year-old passenger who went overboard from the Carnival Elation cruise ship on Sunday.

Carnival spokesperson Matt Lupoli said the cruise ship had been on a four-day sail in the Bahamas and was en route to Jacksonville, Florida, at the time of the accident. A traveling companion reported the man missing late Sunday afternoon after not seeing him all day.

“Unfortunately, after a thorough onboard search and surveillance camera video review, it was determined that he had jumped,” Lupoli said. “Shoreside authorities have been notified, and the crew has been advised to continue to Jacksonville. The Carnival Care team is supportive of the guest’s family and we are thinking with them and the guest.”

The US Coast Guard was alerted at 6:30 p.m. Sunday, and a search began shortly after, Petty Officer 3rd Class Eric Rodriguez told Insider. On Tuesday, the Coast Guard announced the suspension of the search for the man.

In a statement to Insider on Tuesday, a Carnival spokesperson said, “Our thoughts and sincere condolences continue with their loved ones, as the extensive search for him, conducted by the United States Coast Guard, has been suspended. Our care team continues to provide support to the guest’s family.”

Six passengers have gone to sea on Carnival Cruise Line ships since the start of 2022, according to news reports compiled by Ross A. Kline, professor and associate dean for graduate programs and research at Memorial University of Newfoundland, on his blog, CruiseJunkie.com.

the The FBI launched an investigation A man was involved in a carnival cruise ship crash in May when Ronnie Lee Bell Jr., a 35-year-old passenger, fell into the water after leaning over his bedroom balcony railing.

Statistically, the odds of falling off a cruise ship are small. A total of 212 accidents at sea were reported on cruise ships from 2009 to 2019, according to a report Commissioned by Cruise Lines International Industry and Trade Group. Of those, 48 people – about 28% – were successfully rescued.

Under the Cruise Ship Security and Safety Act of 2010, cruise ships must have 42-inch guard rails and onboard imaging or detection systems. However, not all cruise ships have been developed recently Human automatic detection technologywhich uses thermal cameras and radars to instantly alert crew members when someone goes overboard.

Carnival did not respond to questions about the on-board person detection technologies onboard the Carnival Illusion.

The time between a person going to sea and embarking on a search and rescue mission can be the difference between life and death, as evidenced by the experience of James Michael Grimes, a carnival passenger who was stranded at sea for 20 hours after falling overboard last year.

Do you have a tip or story to share about accidents involving people on cruise ships? Send this reporter at [email protected]