man overboard carnival cruise

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

The Coast Guard is searching for a 35-year-old man who fell overboard while on a Carnival cruise ship near Florida on Monday, according to a statement .

The man was a passenger on the Carnival Magic cruise ship, which was about 186 miles east of Jacksonville when he fell into the water.

Security footage shows he leaned over the railing of his room balcony and fell into the water around 4:10 a.m. on Monday, the cruise corporation said in a statement.

He was reported missing by his companion late Monday afternoon.

Officials have not released any identifying information about the man other than his age.

The cruise ship was released by the Coast Guard from search and rescue efforts and will continue its way to Norfolk, Virginia, where it's scheduled to arrive Tuesday.

"The Carnival Care Team is providing support to the guest’s companion and traveling party who are on board," Carnival said.

The Coast Guard is using air and water assets to search for the passenger.

Breaking news reporter

Search suspended for man who fell overboard from Carnival cruise ship near Florida

Ronnie Peale Jr., 35, fell over his balcony railing on Monday, Carnival said.

The U.S. Coast Guard has suspended its search for a Virginia man who fell from a cruise ship balcony earlier this week.

Ronnie Peale Jr., 35, went overboard from a Carnival Magic cruise ship traveling off the coast of Florida on Monday, the Coast Guard said.

After searching more than 5,171 square miles over the course of 60 hours, the Coast Guard said Wednesday night that it has suspended search efforts for Peale.

MORE: Search suspended for 4 people missing after Alaskan charter boat sinks: Coast Guard

"The decision to suspend the active search efforts pending further development is never one we take lightly," Coast Guard District Seven search and rescue mission coordinator Lt. Cmdr. Christopher Hooper said in a statement . "We offer our most sincere condolences to Mr. Peale's family and friends."

Carnival Cruise Lines personnel contacted Coast Guard watchstanders at 6:36 p.m. on Monday to report that a passenger had fallen off the ship, which was 186 miles east of Jacksonville, the Coast Guard said.

Peale's companion reported him missing late Monday afternoon and "an initial review of closed circuit security footage confirms that he leaned over the railing of his stateroom balcony and dropped into the water at approximately 4:10 a.m. Monday," Carnival Cruise Line said in a statement to ABC News.

His partner, Jennilyn Blosser, told Richmond ABC affiliate WRIC that the footage showed him leaning over the railing and that it looks like he accidentally fell.

"It's not like he was like jumping, like you know, it wasn't like that at all," Blosser told the station.

MORE: US teen missing after going overboard on sunset cruise in the Bahamas

Blosser said she woke up at 11:30 a.m. that morning and spent hours trying to find Peale. His mother, Linda Peale, told WRIC she knew something was wrong when her son didn't call that day to check in on his dogs.

Peale, from New Hope, Virginia, was on his first cruise and was celebrating Blosser's birthday with her family, Linda Peale said.

She described her son as "full of life" and someone who loved old cars, gardening and cooking.

"My son was a wonderful man," Linda Peale told WRIC.

Top Stories

5 killed, including baby, as tornadoes slam the heartland

• Apr 28, 8:47 PM

Ex-official told investigators Trump had 'no standing declassification order'

• Apr 25, 6:55 PM

What witnesses said about Trump's handling of classified info while president

• Apr 24, 4:58 PM

Walmart US CEO talks inflation, self-checkout, and non-college degree workers

• Apr 25, 7:51 PM

Tornados leave trail of destruction as 4 injured, hundreds of homes damaged

• Apr 28, 8:47 AM

ABC News Live

24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events

• Search Please fill out this field.
• Manage Your Subscription
• Give a Gift Subscription
• Newsletters
• Sweepstakes
• Human Interest

Man Who Disappeared from Carnival Cruise Ship 'Jumped' Overboard, Officials Say

Security footage from the Carnival Glory showed Tyler Barnett “jumping off the cruise ship,” according to an update from the Coast Guard

Abigail Adams is a Human Interest Writer and Reporter for PEOPLE. She has been working in journalism for seven years.

Gerard Bottino/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty

Authorities say the man who recently disappeared from a Carnival cruise ship appeared to have jumped overboard.

Security footage from the Carnival Glory “shows the man jumping off the cruise ship ,” according to a Tuesday night update from the Coast Guard.

The agency has officially identified the missing man as Tyler Barnett of Houma, Louisiana.

A Carnival spokesperson tells PEOPLE that footage appeared to show Barnett jumping from the ship’s Deck 4 around 1:40 a.m. local time on Monday.

“He can be seen climbing on a lifeboat and jumping from there,” the spokesperson said.

Barnett’s mother Elisha Reid told Business Insider that her daughter was previously informed that there was no footage of what happened.

In Carnival's statement to PEOPLE, a spokesperson said that on Tuesday, they were "advised of the possibility of him wearing a different shirt, which allowed our security team to change the profile of the guest as we searched onboard video."

"We have informed the U.S. Coast Guard and are providing assistance to the guest’s family that was traveling with him," they added.

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

Family members previously said Barnett’s passenger card was swiped at the ship’s casino at 12:15 a.m., and his room just before 12:30 a.m., according to CBS affiliate WWL-TV . Carnival crew members began searching for Barnett around 7:30 a.m.

The Coast Guard said watchstanders with its New Orleans sector were alerted to the incident just after 12:30 p.m. on Monday.

So far, crews have searched more than 200 miles of water for the missing passenger, according to the agency. But adverse weather conditions have hampered the search.

"I just want answers, and I'm holding out for hope," Barnett's grandmother Dirlean Tate Mason told NBC News in a story published on Tuesday.

The Coast Guard has since narrowed its search area roughly 30 miles southwest of the Southwest Pass. 

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."

On Facebook, Mason said she and her family are in need of prayers as they await answers. “We are holding on to hope and prayer that he will be found safe,” she wrote. "Our hearts are breaking."

Related Articles

Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

UK Edition Change

• UK Politics
• News Videos
• Paris 2024 Olympics
• Rugby Union
• Sport Videos
• John Rentoul
• Mary Dejevsky
• Andrew Grice
• Sean O’Grady
• Photography
• Theatre & Dance
• Culture Videos
• Food & Drink
• Health & Families
• Royal Family
• Electric Vehicles
• Car Insurance deals
• Lifestyle Videos
• UK Hotel Reviews
• News & Advice
• Simon Calder
• Australia & New Zealand
• South America
• C. America & Caribbean
• Middle East
• Politics Explained
• News Analysis
• Today’s Edition
• Home & Garden
• Broadband deals
• Fashion & Beauty
• Travel & Outdoors
• Sports & Fitness
• Sustainable Living
• Climate Videos
• Solar Panels
• Behind The Headlines
• On The Ground
• Decomplicated
• You Ask The Questions
• Binge Watch
• Travel Smart
• Watch on your TV
• Crosswords & Puzzles
• Most Commented
• Newsletters
• Ask Me Anything
• Virtual Events
• Betting Sites
• Online Casinos
• Wine Offers

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged in Please refresh your browser to be logged in

Man who fell overboard on Carnival cruise is feared dead as search suspended off Florida coast

The us coast guard on wednesday suspended its search for 35-year-old ronnie lee peale jr, article bookmarked.

Find your bookmarks in your Independent Premium section, under my profile

The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday

Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the us, thanks for signing up to the evening headlines email.

A man is missing and feared dead after reportedly falling off a Carnival Magic cruise ship off the Florida coast.

The US Coast Guard on Wednesday suspended its search for 35-year-old Ronnie Lee Peale Jr, who fell off the ship about 185 miles east of Jacksonville in the early hours of Monday.

“The decision to suspend the active search efforts pending further development is never one we take lightly. We offer our most sincere condolences to Mr. Peale’s family and friends,” Coast Guard rescue mission coordinator Lt Cmdr Christopher Hooper said.

According to his partner Jennilyn Michelle Blosser, Mr Peale was heartily enjoying the first cruise of his life when tragedy struck.

“He was the life of the party,” Ms Blosser told WTKR in Norfolk, Virginia. “It just hurts too much to even type, let alone talk about it. He loved the cruise life, being able to drink, gamble, and socialize put him in his happy place. This was his first cruise and I’m sure he would have been willing to do one monthly.”

The Carnival Magic cruise ship departed from Norfolk on 25 May and was en route to the Bahamas when Mr Peale fell overboard. The ship has since returned to Norfolk.

• Cameron Robbins: Search called off for teen who ‘jumped off cruise ship as a dare’
• Cruise turns into nightmare as powerful storm floods ship and leaves passengers vomiting

According to WTKR, the couple took the cruise to celebrate Ms Blosser’s birthday.

A spokesperson for the Carnival Cruise Line told the television station that footage from the ship shows the moment Mr Peale fell overboard.

“He was reported missing by his companion late Monday afternoon and an initial review of closed circuit security footage confirms that he leaned over the railing of his stateroom balcony and dropped into the water at approximately 4:10 am early Monday morning,” the statement read, in part.

The Cruise Line also said that its team “is providing support to the guest’s companion and traveling party who are on board.”

In the immediate aftermath of the incident, cruise officials reportedly searched the ship for a man believed to be Mr Peale without success.

“There was a security team storming each deck, each floor, concerned,” one passenger, Leevon Porter, told WTKR. “But eventually, they let everybody know that he wasn’t found.”

Ms Blosser has created a GoFundMe to help offset expenses for Mr Peale’s funeral. The page has received donations totaling just over $700 as of Tuesday afternoon.

“He is our social butterfly that was always on the move and loved to make friends with everyone,” Ms Blosser wrote on the GoFundMe page. “The cruise was definitely a place he enjoyed. I never could of imagine something like this could happen. Devastated to say the least.”

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article

Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.

New to The Independent?

Or if you would prefer:

Want an ad-free experience?

Hi {{indy.fullName}}

• My Independent Premium
• Account details
• Help centre

latest in US News

Oklahoma towns hard hit by tornadoes begin long cleanup after 4...

Bill Maher mocks Don Lemon lamenting 'uncomfortable spaces' as a...

24-year-old fatally shot in NYC; two persons of interest in...

Musician devastated after guitar she played with Harry Styles...

Cops help deliver triplets with assist from common kitchen item...

Mother demands answers after video shows son being yanked and...

Missing teen of Slack co-founder, found in van with man, 26, now...

'Guerrilla journalist' says he was beaten by anti-Israel...

Breaking news, carnival passenger james grimes reveals how he survived 20 hours overboard.

• View Author Archive
• Get author RSS feed

Thanks for contacting us. We've received your submission.

The Alabama man who  fell off a Carnival cruise ship  and miraculously survived nearly 20 hours treading water says he fought off what he feared was a shark and was forced to eat floating bamboo as he desperately clung to hope he would be rescued.

James Michael Grimes told  ABC News  on Friday that he went into survival mode after he plunged from the Carnival Valor ship and into the shark-infested waters of the Gulf of Mexico the night of Nov. 23.

“My worst fear is drowning, and that’s something I didn’t want to face,” he said, adding that he knew he just had to “swim and survive.”

As he was treading the choppy waters during his nearly 20-hour ordeal, Grimes recalled being approached by a huge creature he initially thought was a shark.

“I was swimming in one direction, and I looked around, and I seen it out of the corner of my eye,” Grime said. “It came up on me really quick, and I went under.

“It wasn’t a shark, I don’t believe. It had more like a flat mouth and came up and bumped one of my legs, and I kicked it with the other leg. It scared me, not knowing what it was. All I could see was a fin.”

At one point, Grime said a stick came floating by that looked like bamboo.

“So I started eating on it and it actually, I won’t say it tasted good, but it gave some type of flavor in my mouth other than salt water,” he said.

Grimes says he tried not to lose hope as the hours wore on.  

“When it started getting back towards nighttime again, the water started getting colder, [and] at that time I thought, you know, how much longer am I going to have to be out here?” he said.

“I was hoping… they will start looking for me… they will find me eventually.  

“I wanted to see my family, and I was dead set on making it out of there. I was never accepting that this is it, this is going to be the end of my life. I’m 28 years old. I’m too young. This is not going to be it.”

Grimes, who was on the five-day Thanksgiving cruise with 18 family members, was  reported missing by his sister  about 12 hours after he left the ship’s bar to use the bathroom and failed to return.

His disappearance prompted the Cozumel, Mexico-bound vessel to retrace its path toward New Orleans and the US Coast Guard to launch a frantic search.

Grimes was  eventually spotted by a cargo ship,  and dramatic video showed him being plucked from the ocean by the Coast Guard about 20 miles south of Louisiana’s Southwest Pass.

Speaking about the moment he first spotted the cargo ship, Grimes said he was doing everything he could to catch its attention.

“I had taken off my socks and everything waving them around my head trying to do something where they would see me,” he said.

His rescuers believe he was moments away from perishing in the water given the hypothermia, shock and dehydration he was suffering from.

“The fall didn’t kill me, sea creatures didn’t eat me — I felt like I was meant to get out of there,” Grimes said.

He doesn’t recall how he fell overboard, insisting the last thing he remembers was winning an air-guitar contest in one of the ship’s lounges.

Grimes denied being drunk but couldn’t recall how many drinks he had in the lead-up.

“The next thing I know … I regained consciousness. I was in the water with no boat in sight,” he said.

It still isn’t clear how Grimes ended up overboard, but the US Coast Guard appeared to suggest he may have breached the cruise ship’s safety barriers.

“Cruise ships have safety barriers in all public areas that are regulated by US Coast Guard standards that prevent a guest from falling off,” the agency said in a statement.

“Guests should never ever climb up on the rails. The only way to go overboard is to purposefully climb up and over the safety barriers.”

Share this article:

Advertisement

The US Coast Guard stops search for a 30-year-old cruise passenger who Carnival says 'jumped' from a ship on its way back from the Bahamas

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

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

The cruise ship was on a four-day Bahamas sailing and on its way back to Jacksonville, Florida, at the time of the incident, Matt Lupoli, a Carnival spokesperson, said. The man was reported missing by his travel companion late Sunday afternoon after he was not seen all day.

"Sadly, after an exhaustive on-board search and a review of security camera video it was determined that he jumped," Lupoli said. "Shoreside authorities were notified, and the crew was advised to continue to Jacksonville. The Carnival Care Team is providing support to the guest's family and our thoughts are with them and the guest."

Related stories

The US Coast Guard was alerted at 6:30 p.m. Sunday, and the search was initiated soon after, Petty Officer 3rd Class Eric Rodriguez told Insider. On Tuesday, the Coast Guard announced it had suspended the search for the man.

In a statement to Insider on Tuesday, a Carnival spokesperson said: "Our thoughts and sincere condolences continue to be with the loved ones of our guest, as the extensive search for him, carried out 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 overboard on Carnival Cruise Line ships since the beginning of 2022, according to news reports compiled by Ross A. Klein, a professor who is the associate dean for graduate programs and research at Memorial University of Newfoundland, on his blog, CruiseJunkie.com .

The FBI launched an investigation into a man-overboard incident on board a Carnival cruise ship in May when Ronnie Lee Peale Jr., a 35-year-old passenger, fell into the water after leaning over the railing of his stateroom balcony.

Statistically, the odds of falling off a cruise ship are small. A total of 212 overboard incidents were reported on cruise ships from 2009 to 2019, according to a report commissioned by the industry-trade group Cruise Lines International Association. Out of those, 48 people — about 28% — were successfully rescued.

Under the 2010 Cruise Vessel Security and Safety law, cruise ships must have 42-inch guard rails and man-overboard imaging or detection systems. However, not all cruise ships have implemented recently developed automatic man-overboard-detection technology , which uses thermal cameras and radars to immediately alert crew members when a person goes overboard.

Carnival did not respond to questions regarding which man overboard-detection technologies are in place on board the Carnival Elation ship.

The time between someone going overboard and the cruise ship initiating a search-and-rescue mission can be the difference between life and death, as highlighted by the experience of James Michael Grimes, a Carnival passenger who was stranded at sea for 20 hours after falling overboard last year.

Have a tip or story to share about man-overboard incidents on cruise ships? Email this reporter at [email protected]

Watch: The rise and fall of the cruise industry

• Main content

Man jumps overboard Carnival cruise ship off Florida's coast, US Coast Guard says

Man goes overboard carnival ship: officials.

Crews are searching for a man who reportedly jumped off a Carnival Cruise Line ship near the coast of Florida, the US Coast Guard confirmed with FOX 35 News Monday morning. The 30-year-old was on the Carnival Elation when he jumped overboard about 95 nautical miles east of Melbourne in Brevard County.

BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. - A 30-year-old man jumped overboard the Carnival Elation cruise ship off the coast of Florida over the weekend, according to the U.S. Coast Guard.

A spokesperson for Carnival Cruise Line said the ship was returning to its home port in Jacksonville, Florida following a four-day sailing to the Bahamas on Sunday when cruise workers were notified that the man was missing.

The U.S. Coast Guard said Carnival's Elation ship was about 95 nautical miles east of Melbourne when the man went overboard. Crews with the Coast Guard have been actively searching for the man.

PREVIOUS CRUISE STORIES:

• 'Like a scene from the movie Twister': Video shows wicked Florida weather causes chaos on cruise ship at port
• Cruise passenger rescued after going overboard Royal Caribbean ship from Florida: officials

The cruise line learned the man was missing late Sunday afternoon after another guest he was traveling with said he had not been seen all day. Carnival crews searched for the man on board, but were unable to find him.

After reviewing the ship's surveillance video did they learn that he jumped overboard, Carnival said in a statement.

Two ladies take pictures in front of the Carnival cruise ship Elation in Nassau, Bahamas on April 29, 2019. (Photo by Daniel SLIM / AFP) (Photo credit should read DANIEL SLIM/AFP via Getty Images)

Carnival's cruise ship was allowed to continue sailing to Jacksonville, which arrived Monday morning, according to a statement. Authorities along the shore were also notified of the missing man.

Carnival's Elation cruise ship weighs nearly 72,000 tons (71,909 tons), is 855 feet long, can carry up to 2,190 guests, and has 900 crew members on board, according to Carnival's website.

• Share full article

Advertisement

Supported by

A Man Fell From a Cruise Ship. And Survived.

He treaded water for hours in the Gulf of Mexico, withstanding rain, winds and waves before he was rescued. Others have not been so lucky. What happens when a person goes overboard?

By Maria Cramer

The Carnival Valor had been at sea for only a day when calls came over the loudspeaker asking a certain passenger to please report to customer service.

The man, a 28-year-old American citizen, had been reported missing by his family that morning.

It was Thanksgiving, and the Valor, a 3,756-passenger cruise ship that had left New Orleans the day before, was heading toward Cozumel, Mexico.

Crew members soon began searching passengers’ cabins, said Shant’a Miller White, who was traveling with her husband and family. One employee entered her cousin’s cabin and said, “We just need to make sure everything is OK.”

“We didn’t know what was going on,” Ms. White, 48, recalled. Then, at dinner, came another announcement: The ship needed to change course to execute a search and rescue operation.

Ms. White pictured the unknown passenger alone in the water and felt sick to her stomach.

“Did they fall to the bottom? Did the sharks get them?” Ms. White recalled thinking. She began to pray.

The passenger, according to the Coast Guard, turned out to be James Grimes, 28, who had been traveling with his parents and siblings on the five-day cruise. His family had last seen him the night before, around 11 p.m.

But by 10:45 on Thanksgiving morning, when there was no sign of him, the family notified the crew, the Coast Guard said.

At 8:10 p.m., more than nine hours after his family reported him missing, a passing tanker spotted the man near the mouth of the Mississippi River and alerted the Coast Guard.

Rescuers found Mr. Grimes struggling in the water, waving frantically and trying to keep his head above the surface.

When the crew of the MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter lifted him out, he was in shock, had mild hypothermia and was extremely dehydrated, said Lt. Seth Gross, who managed the search and rescue operation for the Coast Guard. But he was alive and in stable condition.

Mr. Grimes, whose family described him as an exceptional swimmer, had treaded in 65- to 70-degree water for hours, withstanding rain, 20-knot winds and three- to five-foot waves in the Gulf of Mexico, where bull sharks and blacktip sharks are common, Coast Guard officials said.

“This case is certainly extraordinary,” Lieutenant Gross said. “The survival instinct, the will to survive is just crazy.”

How often does this happen?

Falling from a ship into a vast sea may be a cruise passenger’s worst nightmare. While the chances of going overboard are exceedingly remote, according to statistics from the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) , the outcome is usually tragic.

In 2019, 25 people fell overboard, and only nine of them were rescued, according to CLIA.

In February, a woman aboard the Carnival Valor jumped off the 10th deck of the ship while fleeing security officers who were trying to detain her after she had scuffled with them. Her body was never found.

In December 2016, a 22-year-old man fell off the 12th deck of a Royal Caribbean cruise ship after a night of heavy drinking. His parents sued the cruise line in federal court in Florida, but a jury decided in favor of Royal Caribbean.

Alcohol is a factor in at least 11 percent of falls from cruise ships, which often offer all-inclusive drink packages that encourage drinking onboard, said Ross Klein, a professor of social work at Memorial University of Newfoundland, who researches cruise safety.

“Cruises are viewed as idyllic, safe and secure, and of course those views are reinforced by advertising and public statements,” he said. But the public should be aware of the risks of going on a cruise, which include being pushed overboard, going overboard and being tempted to jump overboard, he said.

How do ships prevent people from going overboard?

By law, railings have to be 42 inches tall, Professor Klein said. There were efforts to make the railings taller by about another foot, he said, after Congress began considering legislation to tighten security on ships in 2005. But in 2010, when Congress passed the Cruise Vessel Security and Safety Act, the railing height requirements were set at the current standard, he said.

The railing height is designed to keep passengers safe along ship promenades, said Brian Salerno, the senior vice president for Maritime policy at CLIA.

“The vast majority of cases are either reckless behavior or some form of intentional act,” Mr. Salerno said. “People don’t just inadvertently fall over the side of a ship.”

Professor Klein said cruise ships could limit the risks of passengers falling overboard if they limited alcohol consumption, increased railing heights and installed technology that senses when a heavy object has fallen from the ship.

The 2010 law directed cruise ships to begin developing and installing such technology, Mr. Salerno said.

It took years to create a video-surveillance system that would be sensitive enough to detect a person falling overboard and alarm a ship’s crew but that wouldn’t be triggered by other objects, like a sea gull flying by, he said. Some ships have already begun installing such systems, Mr. Salerno said.

Bartenders on cruises are also trained to watch for excessive drinking, said Robert Kritzman, a partner at Clyde & Co., an international law firm in Miami, who advises cruise companies.

“The general policy is the same as anywhere else: Once somebody becomes excessively intoxicated, you stop serving,” he said.

Carnival Corp. said the “only way to go overboard is to purposefully climb up and over the safety barriers.”

“Cruise ships have safety barriers in all public areas that are regulated by U.S. Coast Guard standards that prevent a guest from falling off,” the company said in a statement that thanked the Coast Guard and the mariner who found Mr. Grimes. “Guests should never ever climb up on the rails.”

A spokesman did not respond to follow up questions about the incident or Carnival’s safety protocols.

What happens when the crew learns that a person has gone overboard?

Cruise ships have clear protocols for what to do when a person goes overboard, Mr. Kritzman said.

Once the crew members learn that a person has gone overboard, they immediately inform the Coast Guard, stop the ship and turn around to help find the missing passenger. Often, smaller, fast boats are deployed from the ship to search for the person, Mr. Kritzman said.

The circumstances around the recent fall from the Carnival Valor, including the precise time that Mr. Grimes went overboard, remain unknown. The Coast Guard said it was investigating the incident.

Lieutenant Gross said that after the Coast Guard learned about the missing passenger, it launched a 45-foot patrol boat, a helicopter and a tracker plane to search for him. The Coast Guard set up a search area of more than 7,000 square nautical miles, roughly the size of Massachusetts, he said, and immediately alerted any mariners around the Gulf of Mexico to look for the man.

The Crinis , a bulk carrier, spotted Mr. Grimes about 20 miles south of Southwest Pass, a channel at the mouth of the Mississippi River.

Lt. Gross said he called the man’s mother and stepfather to tell them he had been found.

When he told them their son was stable and being treated at a hospital in New Orleans, he heard them cheer and cry.

Ms. White, who lives in Hampton, Va., and runs an anti-bullying organization , said she was flooded with relief when the ship announced that Mr. Grimes had been found alive.

“That was nothing but God that he survived,” she said.

Follow New York Times Travel on Instagram , Twitter and Facebook . And sign up for our weekly Travel Dispatch newsletter to receive expert tips on traveling smarter and inspiration for your next vacation. Dreaming up a future getaway or just armchair traveling? Check out our 52 Places for a Changed World for 2022.

Maria Cramer is a reporter on the Travel desk. Please send her tips, questions and complaints about traveling, especially on cruises. More about Maria Cramer

Come Sail Away

Love them or hate them, cruises can provide a unique perspective on travel..

 Cruise Ship Surprises: Here are five unexpected features on ships , some of which you hopefully won’t discover on your own.

 Icon of the Seas: Our reporter joined thousands of passengers on the inaugural sailing of Royal Caribbean’s Icon of the Seas . The most surprising thing she found? Some actual peace and quiet .

Th ree-Year Cruise, Unraveled:  The Life at Sea cruise was supposed to be the ultimate bucket-list experience : 382 port calls over 1,095 days. Here’s why  those who signed up are seeking fraud charges  instead.

TikTok’s Favorite New ‘Reality Show’:  People on social media have turned the unwitting passengers of a nine-month world cruise  into  “cast members”  overnight.

Dipping Their Toes: Younger generations of travelers are venturing onto ships for the first time . Many are saving money.

Cult Cruisers: These devoted cruise fanatics, most of them retirees, have one main goal: to almost never touch dry land .

Body recovered after man jumped overboard on Carnival cruise ship, company says

A body has been recovered late Wednesday after a man jumped overboard from the Carnival Horizon cruise ship, the company told USA TODAY.

"Together with the US Coast Guard, the ship’s crew located and recovered the body of the guest. Carnival’s Care team is providing assistance to his family," Carnival said in a statement provided by spokesperson Matt Lupoli.

Earlier Wednesday, the cruise line told USA TODAY that the Carnival Horizon was "conducting a search for a guest who jumped overboard" from Deck 11 around 7 p.m. ET. The incident occurred after the ship departed from Grand Turk in the Turks and Caicos at 5 p.m., according to Carnival.

David Custer, a passenger and   a WNEM TV5 News anchor who was onboard the ship that departed on a 6-day cruise from Miami Sunday, told USA TODAY that passengers were informed that camera footage confirmed a person went overboard. 

"Our hearts sank when we heard the initial announcement," Custer said. "We were at dinner and everyone ran to the closest windows. The cruise director made an announcement to confirm a man went overboard and asked anyone who may see someone in the water to immediately report it."

REMOTE PLACES BY CRUISE SHIP: See an expedition cruise in wanderlust-worthy photos

'I FELT SAFER ON THE CRUISE THAN WALMART': COVID protocols on cruises prove effective, initial CDC data shows

James Presley, another passenger on the ship, told USA TODAY that immediately after the announcement was made, crew members threw life preservers with attached lights off the stern and port side of the ship. He posted a photo of one of the life preservers on Twitter.

After the announcement was made that the passenger was found, Custer said that "overwhelming sadness" was palpable onboard. 

"Most of the entertainment has been canceled including the main show in the theatre," Custer said. "It’s hard to kick back and have a good time knowing a family on board is dealing with such a tragic loss."

According to CruiseMapper , the ship was sailing near the Turks and Caicos Islands just before 9:00 p.m. and is scheduled to be in the Mexican resort of Cozumel on Thursday.

The ship has been cleared by the Coast Guard to resume its intended course, according to Carnival.

If you or someone you know may be struggling with suicidal thoughts you can call the U.S. National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-TALK (8255) any time of day or night or chat online.

• Cruise News

Passenger Reportedly Jumps from Cruise Ship in Front of Family

Andrea Santillan

• April 5, 2024

A passenger on Royal Caribbean’s Liberty of the Seas cruise ship reportedly jumped overboard in front of his family early Thursday morning.

According to witnesses, the 20-year-old man had been drinking alcohol and leaped out of a window following a brief argument with his father.

The incident occurred yesterday shortly after 4 a.m. as the ship was sailing off the coast of The Bahamas.

How did the cruise passenger go overboard?

The 18-story cruise ship was sailing from Grand Inagua Island in The Bahamas to Cuba on its final day at sea before returning to Port Everglades.

A passenger named Bryan Sims was with the 20-year-old man who eventually went overboard. From the ship’s hot tub, they went to the elevators, where they encountered the man’s father and brother. According to Sims, “he was pretty drunk.”

Another passenger described the events on the ship. “The ship slowed and began rescue efforts without success. The US Coast Guard was called, and a helicopter and a rescue boat were sent. Since those assets have arrived, we have been freed to resume our journey to FLL,” he recounted.

According to Royal Caribbean, the crew quickly mobilized search and rescue efforts with the US Coast Guard, who eventually continued the search. The ship’s captain confirmed the man overboard event over the public address system a few hours later.

#Breaking @USCG crews are searching for a 20-year-old man who went overboard from the Liberty of the Seas cruise ship 57 miles from Great Inagua this morning. USCG Cutter Seneca and Air Station Miami HC-144 crews are conducting the search. #USCG #SAR pic.twitter.com/zZPpKOdyCn — USCGSoutheast (@USCGSoutheast) April 4, 2024

Meanwhile, the cruise line assured that “Our Care Team is providing support and assistance to the guest’s family during this difficult time. For the privacy of the guest and their family, we have no additional details to share.”

In 2023, 15 man overboard incidents occurred on cruise ships. Though rare, they are often fatal, and the people who jump overboard are hardly ever rescued.

Recent Posts

New airline compensation rules mandate ‘prompt’ cash refunds for travelers, carnival jubilee 2024 review + cruise news [podcast], cruise passenger could face 12 years in prison after arrest in grand turk, royal caribbean cancels alaska cruise, guests must vacate by sunday afternoon, share this post, related posts.

Sun Princess’ New Godmother, Hannah Waddingham, Has One Very Important Tip to Share With Cruisers

Florida Man Faces Staggering $143,000 Phone Bill Following Vacation

Bringing you 15 years of cruise industry experience. Cruise Radio prioritizes well-balanced cruise news coverage and accurate reporting, paired with ship reviews and tips.   

Quick links

Cruise Radio, LLC © Copyright 2009-2024 | Website Designed By   Insider Perks, Inc

Watch CBS News

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

Updated on: April 18, 2022 / 9:02 PM EDT / CBS/AP

Update: The Coast Guard has suspended their search for the man who went overboard . 

The U.S. Coast Guard was searching for a man who jumped overboard from a cruise ship Saturday as it approached Florida.

The man jumped from the Carnival Cruise Line ship Mardi Gras just after midnight about 55 miles east of Port Canaveral, according to the Coast Guard and Carnival.

The Coast Guard responded with two cutters and an airplane to search for the 43-year-old man. The Mardi Gras and the cruise ship Elation also participated in the search, said Coast Guard spokesman David Micallef.

"The Carnival Care Team is supporting the guest's family. Mardi Gras," said Carnival spokesman Matt Lupoli. "Our thoughts and prayers are with the guest and his family."

Lupoli said the Coast Guard released the ship from the search efforts and it continued to Port Canaveral. It will continue sailing as scheduled.

CBS Miami reported the Mardi Gras is the largest ship ever built for the cruise line. The first cruise ship with an onboard roller coaster, the Mardi Gras is 1,130 feet long, has 21 decks, 2,641 staterooms, and features six themed zones and restaurants from Guy Fieri, Emeril Lagasse, Rudi Sodamin and Shaquille O'Neal.

Last month, a guest jumped overboard from the Carnival Horizon ship that had departed from Miami. That man's body was reportedly found .

• Cruise Ship

More from CBS News

Dramatic video shows K9 deputies arrest double murder suspect

Black man's death in police custody probed after release of body cam video

U.K. man charged with "Russia-backed arson" attack in London

Texans receiver Tank Dell wounded in Florida shooting

Carnival cruise ship rescues nearly 30 people from adrift vessel

A Carnival Cruise Line ship rescued nearly 30 people who were stuck at sea on Sunday.

The crew on Carnival Paradise saved 28 Cuban nationals who were signaling for help on a vessel that was adrift around 2:30 p.m. The cruise ship was headed from Tampa, Florida, to Roatan in Honduras at the time.

“The bridge team onboard spotted the vessel and turned the ship around to rescue them,” Carnival said in a news release . “All were taken aboard, given food and were seen by the medical team.” The cruise line also notified the U.S. Coast Guard Sector Key West and officials in Roatan.

Start the day smarter. Get all the news you need in your inbox each morning.

The Coast Guard did not immediately respond to USA TODAY’s request for comment.

The ship was set to visit Roatan on Monday. Carnival Paradise is on a five-day Caribbean cruise that departed from Tampa on Saturday, according to CruiseMapper .

The news comes after Celebrity Cruises’ Celebrity Apex ship rescued seven people in a small vessel adrift between Cuba and Mexico earlier this month. Another Carnival ship, Carnival Jubilee, also rescued two people stuck in a kayak off the coast of Mexico’s Isla Mujeres in January.

Nathan Diller is a consumer travel reporter for USA TODAY based in Nashville. You can reach him at [email protected].

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Carnival cruise ship rescues nearly 30 people from adrift vessel