overboard cruise ship passenger

Coast Guard suspends search for Carnival Cruise Line passenger who went overboard

A Carnival Cruise Line passenger went overboard on the line’s Carnival Magic ship on Monday.

Ronnie Peale, 35, went overboard 186 miles east of Jacksonville, Florida, the U.S. Coast Guard said. The Coast Guard suspended its search Wednesday after crews searched over 5,171 square miles.

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

“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 a.m. Monday,” a Carnival spokesperson said in an emailed statement.

The Coast Guard released the ship from search and rescue efforts and advised its captain to continue on to Norfolk, Virginia, the spokesperson said. The vessel was on a round-trip sailing from Norfolk to the Bahamas at the time of the incident, according to CruiseMapper .

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“The Carnival Care Team is providing support to the guest's companion and traveling party who are on board,” the spokesperson added.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation's Norfolk field office is investigating, with the help of other agencies, according to a spokesperson.

"The FBI typically has jurisdiction to investigate incidents on the high seas, and works closely with our partners in law enforcement and in the cruising industry to collect the evidence and facts of cases," the spokesperson said in an email, though they did not have additional details to share.

The incident comes after other overboard reports in recent months. The Coast Guard suspended search efforts for a Royal Caribbean International passenger who went overboard during a trans-Pacific sailing in April, and a woman died after going overboard on MSC Cruises’ Meraviglia vessel near Florida’s Port Canaveral in December.

Another Carnival passenger was rescued after going overboard from the line’s Carnival Valor ship in November.

Between 2009 and 2019, there were 212 overboard incidents around the world involving passengers and crew, according to statistics compiled for Cruise Lines International Association by consulting firm G.P. Wild (International) Ltd. Just 48 people were rescued.

Cruise ships have safeguards in place to keep passengers from going overboard and are required by the Cruise Vessel Security and Safety Act of 2010 to have rails that are "located not less than 42 inches above the cabin deck."

Cmdr. Jason Kling, Detachment Chief at the U.S. Coast Guard's Cruise Ship National Center of Expertise, which conducts compliance inspections of cruise ships embarking passengers in U.S. ports or embarking U.S. passengers, told USA TODAY in March that many cruise ships complied with that even before the law was enacted.

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

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Coast Guard Suspends Search for Passenger Who Fell From Cruise Ship

The U.S. Coast Guard said on Sunday that it halted its search for a woman who went overboard from a Carnival cruise ship near Ensenada, Mexico.

By Johnny Diaz

The U.S. Coast Guard suspended a 31-hour search for a passenger who fell off a cruise ship near Mexico, the authorities said on Sunday.

The woman, who was not immediately identified, was aboard a Carnival cruise ship when she fell on Saturday morning “from the balcony of her stateroom,” Carnival Cruise Line said in a statement. The company said the ship had been on a three-day cruise to Ensenada, Mexico, and the Coast Guard said the woman fell near there.

Carnival did not provide further details of how the woman fell overboard.

On Saturday, the Coast Guard said that it had deployed a cutter called the Forrest Rednour as well as a helicopter, and that it was working with Mexico’s Navy to find the woman.

Crews started searching early in the morning on Saturday and into Sunday, the Coast Guard said. It led a search of about 520 square nautical miles, it said.

One passenger told a California news station, KABC-TV , that he heard someone say, “Man overboard, man overboard port side” on the ship’s speakers. He said that when he looked over the balcony of his room, he saw crew members tossing life preservers into the water.

Daniel Miranda, another passenger, told the station that cruise officials said that they had “verified through the cameras” that a woman had fallen into the water. A photo he took, broadcast by the station, also showed that the area of the ship where the woman fell had been cordoned off with blue tape.

After more than 31 hours scouring the area, the Coast Guard said on Sunday that it had suspended its search “pending additional information.”

The cruise company said in its statement that after assisting the Coast Guard, its ship had returned to Long Beach, Calif., as scheduled on Dec. 12. “Our thoughts are with the guest and her family, and our Care Team is providing support,” the company said.

In California, Federal Bureau of Investigation agents went to the ship “with an evidence response team” to assist in the case, a spokeswoman for the bureau said on Monday.

It is increasingly uncommon for passengers to fall from cruise ships, according to Carolyn Spencer Brown, who has covered the cruise industry for about 25 years, currently as chief content officer of Cruise Media LLC.

“It’s becoming much more uncommon than it was 20 years ago,” she said, citing the “increasingly sophisticated design specifications” that have prioritized safety on ships.

“They are designed to keep you safe,” she continued. “You really don’t hear about it very often, and when it happens, typically there are other factors involved.”

In 2010, Congress passed the Cruise Vessel Security and Safety Act , which required ships be equipped with rails no shorter than 42 inches above the deck, and with alarms and other technology to help signal and find passengers who go overboard.

In 2018 and 2019, 26 and 29 people fell overboard from cruise and ferry ships, according to Cruisejunkie.com , which lists cases reported by the news media, including those involving people who jumped. In 2020 and 2021, when far fewer passengers took cruises because of the pandemic, the site recorded three incidents.

Ross A. Klein, who tracks the cases of people who fall overboard on his website, Cruisejunkie.com, wrote in a June 2019 report that information on people who fall overboard is limited “as cases may not be publicly reported.”

Falls overboard could involve intoxication, accidents or deliberate jumps, Mr. Klein’s report said, but he warned there was reason to be cautious with labels because of the lack of information.

“Alcohol intoxication is known in only a small percentage of cases, largely because there is no systematic reporting of persons overboard, and no accounting of behavior prior to a disappearance (such as alcohol consumption),” the report said.

Asked about how many people have fallen overboard from Carnival ships in recent years, a spokeswoman for the company said she did not have any further information other than the statement about this weekend’s search.

The ship traveling to Ensenada this weekend, the Carnival Miracle, debuted in 2004 and can accommodate more than 2,100 guests and 934 crew members, according to the company.

Johnny Diaz is a general assignment reporter covering breaking news. He previously worked for the South Florida Sun Sentinel and The Boston Globe. More about Johnny Diaz

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.

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"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.

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Dramatic video shows Coast Guard rescuing man who went overboard on Carnival cruise

By Kerry Breen

Updated on: November 25, 2022 / 9:07 PM EST / CBS News

A passenger who fell off a cruise ship late Wednesday night was rescued on Thursday evening. 

The 28-year-old man was reported missing by the crew of the Carnival Valor at around 2:30 p.m. on Nov. 24, according to a press release issued by the U.S. Coast Guard . Rescue crews were quickly amassed. The crew of a bulk carrier, identified as Crinis, spotted the man in the water and alerted the Coast Guard to his position. He was rescued around 8:25 p.m., about 20 miles south of Southwest Pass, Louisiana. 

The man, who has not been identified, was "responsive but exhibiting hypothermic-like symptoms" when he was found by a Coast Guard aircrew and received emergency medical services at the New Orleans Lakefront Airport, Coast Guard petty officer Ryan Graves told CBS News. He is in stable condition.

The Coast Guard shared video footage of the rescue on Twitter , showing the moment the man was found and brought aboard an agency helicopter. 

Footage from the rescue of the cruise ship passenger last night. Can also be downloaded here: https://t.co/xk0pBnVr1E pic.twitter.com/GK1IXCKlgx — USCG Heartland (@USCGHeartland) November 25, 2022

Matt Lupoli, a spokesperson for Carnival, told CBS News that the man was at a bar with his sister on Wednesday night, and he disappeared after leaving to use the restroom. His sister, whose identity has also not been made public, alerted crew to his absence when he did not return to his stateroom overnight. 

"We are beyond grateful that this case ended with a positive outcome," said Lt. Seth Gross, a Sector New Orleans search and rescue mission coordinator. "It took a total team effort from Coast Guard watchstanders, response crews, and our professional maritime partners operating in the Gulf of Mexico to locate the missing individual and get him to safety. If not for the alert crew aboard the motor vessel Crinis, this case could have had a much more difficult ending."

Carnival's Care Team is "providing support to the family members of the missing guest who were sailing with him and remain on board," Lupoli said. The ship is bound for Cozumel, Mexico. 

"We greatly appreciate the efforts of all, most especially the U.S. Coast Guard and the mariner who spotted the guest in the water," Lupoli told CBS News. 

• Cruise Ship

Kerry Breen is a reporter and news editor at CBSNews.com. A graduate of New York University's Arthur L. Carter School of Journalism, she previously worked at NBC News' TODAY Digital. She covers current events, breaking news and issues including substance use.

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Search suspended for cruise ship passenger who fell overboard off Hawaii

Coast Guard crews have suspended the search for an Australian cruise ship passenger off the coast of Hawaii following a report of a person overboard, officials said Thursday.

“After reviewing all relevant information of the case and discussing it with the next of kin, the Coast Guard has made the difficult decision to suspend the active search for the passenger aboard the Quantum of the Seas,” said Kevin Cooper, a search and rescue mission coordinator for the Joint Rescue Coordination Center Honolulu. 

The cruise ship Quantum of the Seas reported a person overboard at 11:03 p.m. Tuesday local time to the Joint Rescue Coordination Center Honolulu, the Coast Guard said in a news release Wednesday. 

“The crew of the cruise ship remained on scene to search for approximately two hours, deploying six life rings,” the release said. 

On Wednesday, an air search with the Coast Guard Air Station Barbers Point C-130 Hercules aircrew launched at 7 a.m. and arrived on scene at 9 a.m. local time, searching about 500 miles south of Kailua-Kona, Big Island.

After six hours the crew returned to the air station for fuel replenishment. Officials said said Thursday that the search had been suspended.

A spokesperson for Royal Caribbean confirmed that a passenger went overboard.

"The ship’s crew immediately launched a search and rescue operation and is working closely with local authorities," the spokesperson said.

The sprawling cruise ship has 16 decks and fits 4,905 guests and 1,500 crew members, according to its website . 

Quantum of the Seas departed Brisbane, Australia, on April 12 and is scheduled to arrive in Honolulu on Friday.

Breaking News Reporter

A cruise passenger just went overboard. What happens next?

• In the past three months, at least six passengers have gone overboard on cruise ships. 
• If this happens, you might hear crew use distress signals like "Oscar, Oscar, Oscar."
• Depending on the ship's location, the US Coast Guard will conduct a search and rescue mission. 

"Oscar, Oscar, Oscar" are three words you don't want to hear on a cruise ship.

The maritime distress signal is used by some cruise lines to alert crew members that a person has gone overboard; an unfortunate turn of events that has happened at least six times in the past three months.

While man-overboard incidents are rare , they are a leading cause of death for passengers on cruise ships, according to research conducted by Travis Heggie, a professor at Bowling Green State University who specializes in health and safety risks in the tourism industry.

Based on recent man-overboard incidents, here's what passengers can expect if someone goes overboard during their cruise. Individual incidents and exact procedures followed by cruise lines may vary.

What happens when passenger goes overboard on a cruise ship?

The best-case scenario is that someone on the ship spots the person going overboard and immediately initiates a rescue operation. This was the case in July, when a woman fell off the 10th deck of a Royal Caribbean cruise ship and was rescued by crew members in a dramatic, nearly hour-long rescue .

But if there are no witnesses, it could take hours for the passenger's family or friends to realize they are missing and report the situation to cruise staff.

Once a passenger is reported missing, crew members might announce the person's name over the loudspeaker while conducting an onboard search.

Cruise staff will likely review the ship's security footage to determine if, when, and where a passenger has gone overboard. But in some cases, there is no footage due to blind spots on the ship.

Once 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," a spokesperson for the industry trade group Cruise Line International Association told Insider.

"Often, smaller boats that can move at high speeds are deployed from the ship to search for the person," they said.

Related stories

Depending on the ship's location, local authorities (such as the Cuban Border Guard) may be put in charge of coordinating search and rescue missions.

If the US Coast Guard is the agency in charge, responders will likely search for the missing passenger from the air and on the water. After 35-year-old Ronnie Peale Jr. fell overboard a Carnival cruise ship in late May, Coast Guard responders searched more than 5,171 square miles for 60 hours.

Unfortunately, most cruise ship man-overboard incidents don't result in a successful rescue, a 2020 study commissioned by CLIA found.

The low recovery rate has prompted debate on whether or not cruise ships should be required to install man-overboard detection systems that automatically alert crew members when a person goes overboard, instead of retroactively checking security footage.

Rules Royal Caribbean has required crew to follow if a person goes overboard

Cruise lines have specific protocols designed for crew to take quick action during man-overboard incidents, the CLIA spokesperson said.

They don't typically publicize these internal company procedures. But a Bahamas Maritime Authority safety report regarding a 2017 incident excerpted portions of Royal Caribbean International's missing person guidelines.

Royal Caribbean International did not respond to multiple requests for comment about whether or not the cruise line has updated its missing person procedures since 2017. The industry blog Cruise Law News first reported on the safety report.

According to the safety report, once a guest or crew member is reported missing to guest services, Royal Caribbean policy requires crew to immediately inform the cruise's main control center, called the bridge, as well as the ship's staff captain and security officer.

The bridge officer must then note the ship's position while the security officer takes steps to locate the missing guest or crew member.

Before the captain can turn the ship around to look for the missing person, they must notify marine operations — a corporate department based in Miami — unless they are responding to a confirmed overboard sighting, the report said.

"The Care Team (Miami) and if necessary, the ship's Medical Unit should be involved to support the family and friends of the missing person," the policy continues, per the report.

Do you work on a cruise ship? Have a tip or story to share? Email this reporter at [email protected]

Watch: Sub taking tourists to see the Titanic goes missing

• Main content

Why falling off a cruise ship is so deadly

A 35-year-old Australian man who fell overboard on his way back to Brisbane. A Louisiana teen who jumped ship on a dare. A 7-year-old boy who died after falling into the ocean, followed by his mother, who tried to save him.

Overboard incidents on cruise ships are incredibly rare. But when they happen, they usually end in death, experts say.

The Coast Guard said last week it had given up on its search for 30-year-old Jaylen Hill, who went overboard during a four-day Carnival Cruise trip from Florida to the Bahamas. It searched more than 1,300 square miles for him.

“We offer our deepest condolences to the Hill family,” the Coast Guard said on Twitter.

Hill was reported missing by a travel companion hours after he was last seen. Experts say such time gaps between a fall and the start of a search are a big part of why overboard incidents are so deadly.

Even if crew members are immediately aware of the incident, it takes the average ship at least a mile to turn around. The ship usually dispatches life boats and alerts authorities, such as the Coast Guard, which may not be close enough to assist, said Ross Klein, a cruise industry researcher and retired professor at Memorial University of Newfoundland. In many cases, ships are not aware that someone has gone overboard until a travel partner reports them missing, which could be hours or days later.

By then, it’s often too late.

“It’s a huge ocean. Just being found at all would be incredible,” Klein said. “The longer you are out there, whether you’re alive or not, the lower the possibility of being recovered. The vast majority of people are gone forever.”

Even in cases where a fall is noticed immediately, a lot can go wrong.

“The fall itself can kill you, a cruise ship engine can suck you underneath the water, fear and anxiety or intoxication could prevent you from swimming — there’s many different scenarios,” said Brett Rivkind, a Miami lawyer who specializes in maritime law and represents families in overboard cases. A person can also become unconscious from hypothermia in as little as 15 minutes , depending on sea temperatures.

At least 386 people were reported to have gone overboard, voluntarily or by accident, from 2000 to 2020, according to data Klein compiled. He began tracking overboard cases in 1995 using media reports, tips, information requests and other methods, later serving as an expert witness before Congress.

“People overboard was an area that hadn’t been studied, and, really, there was no data,” he said. “Even within the industry, they said back in 2012 and 2013 before Congress that they don’t keep track of this.”

While it’s true that tens of millions of people vacation on cruise ships every year without incident, experts say a combination of mitigatable risks and loose safety regulations are contributing to deaths.

In a 2020 study , a professor examined more than 620 cruise deaths from 2000 through the end of 2019. He found that overboard incidents — falling, jumping or being thrown — were the leading cause of death among passengers and crew members, accounting for 23 percent of all deaths.

“It’s a lot more common than people think,” said the professor, Travis Heggie, who tracks tourist deaths around the world at Bowling Green State University in Ohio.

Death rates for overboard incidents vary significantly among cruise lines, according to Klein’s calculations, which he said proves more can be done to protect passengers.

Only a handful of cruise lines have installed man-overboard systems, which use sensors or other technology to immediately detect when a person has fallen or jumped off the vessel, Klein said. (The Cruise Vessel Security and Safety Act of 2010 requires vessels to “integrate technology” for detecting falls overboard “to the extent that such technology is available,” and some operators have argued that existing technology is not reliable enough yet.)

The safest cruise lines were able to rescue only 40 percent of overboard passengers, and most save far fewer, he said. The rescue rate was as low as 6 percent on at least one cruise line.

7 facts about the world's biggest cruise ship

The amount of alcohol being served on cruise ships is also a concern cited by several experts, who said passengers are being overserved. Alcohol is involved in up to 60 percent of overboard cases, according to Klein, and alcoholic drinks have become one of the leading sources of onboard revenue for cruise lines in recent years.

“Cruise lines make a lot of money serving alcohol,” Rivkind said, “and what they’ve done over the years is, they’ve moved to all-you-can-drink policies. They often allow them to drink as many as 15 alcoholic beverages a day. To me, that’s a big source of the problem.”

Defenders of the industry often characterize cruise ships as a microcosm of a city, with the same problems that come up on land. But Heggie and others disagree.

“Nobody is saying 23 percent of hotel client deaths are from falling off balconies,” he said.

Cruise Passenger, 23, Reportedly Falls Overboard After Texting Wife He Felt Seasick

A 23-year-old passenger is presumed dead  after falling from the MSC Euribia cruise ship, according to multiple reports .

Liam Jones, a social work student from Scotland, was last seen on March 16 while on a seven-day tour cruise from Southampton to Amsterdam with his family, the  Daily Record reports .

Jones’ wife, Sophia Mcphee, 20, told the outlet that Jones texted her right before his disappearance to tell her he was feeling seasick. 

“He’s just gone. I’m never going to see him again,” Mcphee told the Daily Record . “I’m devastated. I have so many questions, and I’m not getting any answers to what’s happened.”

Mcphee told U.K.’s Metro that Jones’ sister broke the news to her on the phone and explained that security camera footage showed Jones falling overboard. 

“She said there had been an accident and Liam ‘wasn’t coming back.’ She then said she had seen CCTV and he’d gone overboard,” Mcphee recalled. 

But Mcphee said she hasn’t been updated on the investigation since hearing about his disappearance. She told the Daily Record that the last time she had seen Jones was on March 14 when he traveled to visit family in Glasgow before they boarded the cruise the following day.  

“I’ve been trying to get in contact with the MSC since Monday, but it’s been a headache,” Mcphee told the Daily Record. “They’re not getting back to me.”

MSC Cruises didn’t immediately respond to HuffPost’s requests for comment. 

Police reportedly boarded the cruise ship on March 22 to investigate the incident upon its return to Southampton, Metro reports. 

The cruise line suspects the man intentionally went overboard, Fox10 News reports .

In a statement to the Daily Record, MSC Cruises said it is “deeply saddened” by the news of Jones’ disappearance. 

“A passenger on board MSC Euribia was reported missing, who we believe intentionally went overboard, on 17 March as the ship sailed from Hamburg to Rotterdam,” the cruise line said. 

“The authorities have been informed and have been on board the vessel. We are deeply saddened by this news and our thoughts are with the family at this very difficult time,” the statement continued. “Out of respect for the family’s privacy we will refrain from disclosing any additional information.” 

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It’s full steam ahead for the cruise ship industry after Royal Caribbean hiked its full-year profit guidance on Thursday, saying it expects 60% growth from last year following record bookings during the first quarter.

Travelers are paying “record ticket prices,” according to Royal Caribbean — despite a recent spate of high-sea deaths and missing passengers reports, including a Florida 20-year-old who jumped off a Royal Caribbean cruise this month.

Soaring demand for vacations at sea has given cruise operators ample room to raise ticket prices as the industry looks to close the pricing gap between more expensive land-based holidays and give their profits a lift.

Royal Caribbean, which operates the Celebrity Cruises, now expects annual profits of between $10.70 and $10.90 per share, compared with its earlier forecast of $9.90 to $10.10.

“Our existing fleet along with our new ships continue to perform exceptionally well, highlighted by the market response to the launch of Icon of the Seas,” CEO Jason Liberty said.

Royal Caribbean’s shares — which have spiked 126% in the past year, were up 2% on Thursday morning, to $139.32.

“I remember owning the stock in 2022 and every client was giving me grief about it,” said Peter Ahluwalia, manager at Belinvest Global Equity Fund that holds Royal Caribbean stocks and chief investment officer at Swiss Partners Group. “We’re turning almost 45% return on equity at the moment, which is quite incredible.”

Overall, the industry which was among the hardest hit during the pandemic, is expected to grow to 39.4 million passengers in 2027 from 31.7 million last year, according to Statista.

The surge in demand comes amid major publicity blows from incidents at sea involving passengers who have gone missing, including the Florida man who jumped overboard on April 4 in front of his brother and father after a night of drinking.

Last December, a 41-year-old Royal Caribbean passenger went overboard on a cruise to the Bahamas. That followed an incident last August involving a 64 year-old woman sailing from Singapore to Malaysia on Royal Caribbean who is presumed to have jumped to her death .

On average, 19 people go overboard on cruise ships every year — and of those, only about four are rescued, according to a 2020 study commissioned by the industry trade group Cruise Lines International Association.

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