carnival cruise ship overboard victim

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.

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Body of Guest Who Jumped Overboard From Carnival Cruise Ship Reportedly Found

By nbc 6 • published march 16, 2022 • updated on march 17, 2022 at 10:01 am.

A search that was underway for a guest who jumped overboard Wednesday night from the Carnival Horizon ship has reportedly ended after the body was found.

The guest jumped from deck 11 at approximately 7 p.m., according to a Carnival spokesperson, and the ship's command immediately began a search and rescue operation.

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The U.S. Coast Guard was notified, and the cruise line is providing support to the guest's wife.

A news reporter onboard the ship and the Miami Herald reported the body was found late Wednesday night.

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#BREAKING The captain has informed us that the guest who went overboard has been found. He did not make it. The family is receiving counseling services. pic.twitter.com/ylHbc4Pi6r — David Custer (@DavidLukeCuster) March 17, 2022

The Carnival Horizon departed Grand Turk, Turks and Caicos, two hours before at around 5 p.m ET.

The six-day cruise departed Miami this past Sunday and is expected to return Saturday.

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Man, 35, Falls Overboard Ship on His 'First Cruise,' Fiancée Says amid Search for Missing Passenger

The U.S. Coast Guard is searching for a man who fell overboard from a Carnival cruise ship on Monday

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

Officials are searching for a man who went overboard while traveling on a Carnival cruise ship this week.

The victim, a 35-year-old man, was riding on the Carnival Magic ship when he went overboard on Monday, according to a statement from the United States Coast Guard’s Southeast division. The boat was about 186 miles east of Jacksonville, Fla., at the time

Carnival Cruise Line said a person who was traveling with the man, identified as Ronnie Lee Peale Jr . by family, reported the incident late Monday afternoon, according to CBS affiliate WTKR and NBC affiliate WAVY .

"It just hurts too much to even type, let alone talk about it," fiancée Jennilyn Michelle Blosser told WTKR. "This was his first cruise."

On a GoFundMe page, she said they went on the trip to celebrate her birthday .

A Carnival spokesperson said that "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," per WTKR and WAVY.

The ship, which was traveling from Virginia to the Bahamas, began its voyage Thursday but returned on Tuesday morning amid the search for the missing passenger, according to WTKR.

Carnival Cruise Lines and the Coast Guard did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s requests for comment.

Passengers told WTKR that they heard the man’s name over the intercom on multiple occasions before they learned that someone had gone overboard. Two passengers also told the outlet they found out what happened after the victim’s wife shared a post on Facebook.

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US Coast Guard South East Twitter

As search efforts continue, Blosser asked that people "please keep our family in your prayers and thanks for your support."

"This was Ronnie’s first cruise and thankfully he had a great time and made plenty of friends. He is our social butterfly that was always on the move and loved to make friends with everyone," she added. "I never could of imagine[d] something like this could happen. Devastated to say the least."

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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

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Carnival cruise ship passenger rescued by Coast Guard hours after falling overboard

Carnival valor passenger, a 28-year-old man, reported missing hours after leaving a bar.

Carnival cruise ship passenger rescued by Coast Guard after falling overboard

Video released by the Coast Guard shows the moment a Carnival cruise ship passenger was spotted and later rescued from the Gulf of Mexico after falling overboard Thursday. 

A missing passenger from the Carnival Valor cruise ship was rescued hours later Thursday by the U.S. Coast Guard. 

The 28-year-old was discovered about 20 miles south of Southwest Pass, a channel south of Louisiana at the mouth of the Mississippi River. 

He had been reported missing at around 2:30 p.m. local time on the same day and was located at around 8:25 p.m. by a Coast Guard Air Station New Orleans MH-60 Jayhawk aircrew. 

The passenger was hoisted out of the water and up onto a helicopter before being given medical attention at the New Orleans Lakefront Airport.

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A Carnival cruise ship passenger was spotted by the Coast Guard before being rescued Thursday. (Coast Guard / Fox News)

The Coast Guard airlifted a Carnival cruise ship passenger who fell overboard into the Gulf of Mexico Thursday.  (Coast Guard / Fox News)

The Carnival Valor cruise ship sets sail from the Port of New Orleans in New Orleans on March 3, 2022. (Luke Sharrett/Bloomberg via Getty Images / Getty Images)

He was last reported in stable condition.

"We are beyond grateful that this case ended with a positive outcome," Lt. Seth Gross, a Sector New Orleans search and rescue mission coordinator, said in a statement. "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."

The ship was on its way to Cozumel, Mexico , but retraced its route to help with the search before continuing on.

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The man was reported missing after leaving a bar to use the restroom at around 11 p.m. on Wednesday, according to FOX 8 New Orleans.

"We greatly appreciate the efforts of all, most especially the U.S. Coast Guard and the mariner who spotted the guest in the water," Carnival told Fox Business Digital in an emailed statement Friday.

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE ON FOX BUSINESS

Fox Business Digital's request for comment from Sector New Orleans was not immediately returned.

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Video shows final moments of woman before she fell overboard off Carnival cruise ship

The ship circled for hours looking for any sign of the woman, article bookmarked.

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Newly emerged video footage, recorded minutes before a woman fell overboard from the Carnival Valor cruise , shows her struggling with cruise ship security.

The 32-year-old African-American woman, who remains unidentified, fell from the Carnival Valor ship into the Gulf of Mexico on Wednesday, when it was 150 miles off the coast of Southwest Pass, Louisiana .

Passengers said that the woman appeared in a frantic state following an alleged disturbance in a hot tub on the ship and jumped off from the tenth floor into the ocean.

Now a new video, recorded on a mobile, shows her struggle with three security guards who are tightly holding her hands behind her back. Earlier reports claimed she was handcuffed, however, in the video she wasn’t cuffed.

She is heard screaming “Alicia” as guards help her up a flight of stairs and off the pool deck. The video doesn’t show the moment she fell and it isn’t clear how she she broke free from the guards. However, it shows horrified passengers rushing to the balcony to find out what happened. One of them is heard asking: “who was she?”

A life preserver is seen in the water, reportedly thrown in by the crew to help her stay afloat. However, the woman disappeared soon, the eye witnesses say.

The ship circled for hours looking for any sign of the woman, however, resumed on its route later after the Coast Guard took over the search and rescue efforts which were suspended hours later.

“The decision to suspend a search-and-rescue case is never one we come to lightly,” said Chief Warrant Officer Tricia Eldredge, command duty officer at sector New Orleans. “We offer our deepest sympathies to the family during this difficult time.”

The cruise company says their team is providing support to the guest’s husband who was traveling with her, as well to the rest of her family.

If you are experiencing feelings of distress and isolation, or are struggling to cope, The Samaritans offers support; you can speak to someone for free over the phone, in confidence, on 116 123 (UK and ROI), email [email protected], or visit the Samaritans website to find details of your nearest branch.

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Woman falls overboard from Carnival cruise ship off Mexico

A woman fell off a Carnival Cruise Line ship balcony and into the Pacific Ocean early Saturday, spurring an international search effort.

The incident, which happened shortly after 3 a.m. aboard a Carnival Miracle ship near Ensenada, Mexico, was captured on security video, the U.S. Coast Guard said. Passengers were notified shortly after, said Josh Zufelt, a passenger.

The ship came to a near-complete stop around 3:30 a.m. as crew members dropped a lifeboat into the water, Zufelt said.

Coast Guard crews are working with members of the Mexican navy to find the woman, who appeared to be in her 20s.

Carnival Cruise Line said the ship was released after having assisted with the search and continued on to Ensenada, about a 90-minute drive from the U.S. border.

"Our thoughts are with the guest and her family, and our Care Team is providing support," Carnival said in a statement.

The ship was to return to Long Beach as scheduled Sunday morning, the cruise line said.

According to the company's website, the Carnival Miracle accommodates more than 2,100 guests and 934 crew members. It sails from Long Beach, San Diego and San Francisco to Alaska, Hawaii and Mexico. Trips are two to more than 10 days.

Alicia Victoria Lozano is a California-based reporter for NBC News focusing on climate change, wildfires and the changing politics of drug laws.

Watch CBS News

Coast Guard searching for 35-year-old man who went overboard a Carnival cruise ship

By Caitlin O'Kane

Updated on: May 30, 2023 / 7:37 PM EDT / CBS News

The U.S. Coast Guard is searching for a 35-year-old man who went overboard a cruise ship Tuesday. The man fell off a Carnival Magic cruise ship about 186 miles east of Jacksonville, Florida, the Coast Guard tweeted.

Both air and water teams are searching for the man. 

#Breaking @USCG crews are searching for a 35 year-old man who went overboard from the Carnaval Magic cruise ship 186 miles east of #Jacksonville , Monday. The Coast Guard is utilizing both air and water assets to conduct the search. #USCG #Florida #SAR pic.twitter.com/qH70gDBRAp — USCGSoutheast (@USCGSoutheast) May 30, 2023

CBS News has reached out to Carnival Cruises for more information.

Last week, an 18-year-old from Louisiana went overboard  from a boat during a sunset cruise in the Bahamas, authorities said. The U.S. Coast Guard and the Royal Bahamas Defence Force searched for the teen, identified as Cameron Robbins, who apparently jumped off the boat. He was on a trip to celebrate his high school graduation.

The coast guard called off their search on May 27, they said in a news release. 

Another Carnival cruise ship got caught in a tumultuous storm off the coast of South Carolina on Monday. Passengers said glass shattered, water poured in and the ship pitched. They also said there was a lack of communication from the staff during the frightening ordeal, which lasted hours.

Some people on board needed "minor assistance" from medical staff, and "guests on board the ship were safe," a Carnival cruise spokesman told CBS News. 

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Caitlin O'Kane is a New York City journalist who works on the CBS News social media team as a senior manager of content and production. She writes about a variety of topics and produces "The Uplift," CBS News' streaming show that focuses on good news.

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Kevin mcgrath ‘vanished’ from carnival cruise, was reportedly on parole for assault.

A Carnival Cruise passenger who mysteriously vanished from the ship during a family vacation was not allowed to sail because he was on probation for assault after his wife said he threatened to kill her and their kids, according to a report.

Kevin McGrath, 26, was celebrating his dad’s 60 th birthday on the Carnival Conquest when he failed to show up for breakfast as the ship headed back to Port Miami after a Labor Day weekend cruise to the Bahamas.

But the ship’s cameras and overboard detection system showed no indication that he went overboard and his disappearance has been shrouded in mystery ever since the Coast Guard called off its search.

It has now emerged that McGrath pleaded guilty to aggravated assault in Tennessee in September 2022 and was sentenced to six years of supervised probation, TMZ reported .

His wife said he threatened to kill her and their children, according to the outlet, which cited legal documents.

McGrath received permission to move from Tennessee to Florida, where he was living with his parents, but his probation officers said he never got a green light to go on a cruise, the report said.

The probation office — which apparently only found out he had been aboard the Conquest when media reported about his disappearance — said he also is delinquent on $241.20 in probation fees, the outlet said.

McGrath was with a big group of relatives during the three-day cruise, his sister Danielle McGrath previously told USA Today.

He was reportedly last seen by his brother Andre at about 2 a.m. Sept. 3 and his keycard was used to enter his room around 3:30 a.m.

The family met for breakfast at 7:30 a.m., but McGrath didn’t show.

His disappearance came a week after a  young college student fell overboard  off the world’s largest cruise ship, the Royal Caribbean’s Wonder of the Seas.

Sigmund Ropich, 19, tumbled into the ocean off Cuba and was never found.

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6 cruise passengers have gone overboard in 3 months. Here's why most ships still don't use detection tech for rescues.

• An average of 19 people go overboard on cruise ships every year, industry data has found.
• Since 2010, cruise ships have been required to install technology to help prevent overboard deaths.
• But the US Coast Guard isn't enforcing the requirements or inspecting ships for the technology. 

Ronnie Peale Jr. , a 35-year-old from a small town in Virginia's Shenandoah Valley, took his first cruise in May 2023 to celebrate his partner's birthday.

On the fifth day of the cruise, Peale went missing.

"By one o'clock I had that gut-wrenching feeling in my stomach," his mother, Linda Peale, told Insider. "He always called me twice a day to check on his dogs."

" He didn't call."

Security footage reviewed by Carnival showed Peale "leaned over the railing of his stateroom balcony and dropped into the water at approximately 4:10 a.m.," a spokesperson for the cruise line said.

At 6:36 p.m. — more than 12 hours after Peale fell overboard — Carnival contacted the Coast Guard, according to the agency. For 60 hours, Coast Guard responders searched 5,171 square miles , an area slightly larger than the state of Connecticut, but did not find his body.

Peale is presumed dead, according to a letter sent to his mother by the Coast Guard, a copy of which was viewed by Insider.

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.

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

Less than two months after Peale fell overboard, 30-year-old Jaylen Hill also went overboard a Carnival cruise ship. Hill was last seen at 8 a.m. on Sunday, July 23. The cruise line alerted the Coast Guard at 6:30 p.m. that night, Eric Rodriguez, a petty officer third class, told Insider at the time.

In total, at least five passengers have gone overboard cruise ships this summer, including Hill. The incidents occurred on the cruise ships  Carnival Elation ,  Spectrum of the Seas ,  Emerald Princess ,  Mariner of the Seas , and Wonder of the Seas . Only one of the passengers was successfully rescued .

Locating a missing person among the sprawling labyrinth of bars, restaurants, entertainment venues, pools, and staterooms that make up these floating cities can be frustrating and time-consuming, especially considering the complications of texting and calling at sea.

Even if someone survives the steep fall and avoids the ship's massive propeller or swirling wake, hypothermia can set in within minutes. Unmonitored security footage and inconsistent safety protocols make the chances of survival even more slim.

Experts say the large gaps of time between a person going overboard and the initiation of rescue missions are one of the main reasons why man overboard incidents are so deadly. The longer someone is alone in the open ocean, the lower the chance of recovery, Ross Klein, a cruise industry researcher who has served as an expert witness before Congress, told The Washington Post earlier this year.

"Overboard situations are obviously upsetting events for many — and although they are rare, with the likelihood of an incident at less than 0.000001% — we take our responsibility to provide a safe environment for guests and crew very seriously," a spokesperson for Carnival Corporation said, adding that "it is virtually impossible to fall off a cruise ship without a purposeful action to climb up and over safety rails," which must be at least 42 inches high.

Legislation without regulation

To help prevent overboard fatalities, Congress in 2010 required cruise ships to integrate technology "that can be used for capturing images of passengers or detecting passengers who have fallen overboard, to the extent that such technology is available," as part of the Cruise Vessel Security and Safety Act, or CVSSA.

The Coast Guard interprets the statute to mean cruise ships have the option to choose between image-capture systems — like CCTV security cameras — or detection systems, which use technology like thermal cameras and radar to alert crew of someone falling overboard in real time, a spokesperson for the agency told Insider. This gives cruise companies the flexibility to decide which type of technology they use.

But the law's vague language opens it up to a second interpretation, which some experts say was the original intent of Congress: that cruise ships are allowed to use image capture technology like CCTV cameras to fulfill the CVSSA until reliable man overboard detection technology becomes available.

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But the Coast Guard, the agency tasked with ensuring cruise ships comply with the law, does not enforce either requirement because the rulemaking process it first began eight years ago is not yet finished, a Coast Guard spokesperson told Insider. That means for the 10-plus years the CVSSA has been law, the Coast Guard hasn't inspected cruise ships for any MOB technology , cameras or otherwise, the spokesperson confirmed.

Nor does the agency regulate or set standards for the technology cruise ships should use to detect passengers who have fallen overboard, the spokesperson said. However, the Coast Guard does examine cruise ships to ensure they "have adequate procedures in place to recover a man overboard in a satisfactory manner," they added.

"I think many of us don't realize that about any law," Jamie Barnett, the president of the International Cruise Victims Association, told Insider. "It doesn't just get passed and then happen — it takes oversight. It takes people paying attention to make sure that it happens."

Most cruise ships rely on security cameras to spot people who've gone overboard

All Cruise Line International Association members comply with the requirements in the CVSSA, with most ships opting for technology that is capable of capturing images of people falling overboard, a CLIA spokesperson told Insider.

But victims' advocates say security cameras on their own aren't an effective way to prevent man-overboard fatalities because they are not constantly monitored. And since cameras don't always capture every area of the ship, sometimes there's no footage at all.

After 29-year-old James Michael Grimes went overboard a Carnival cruise ship in November 2022, his stepsister was informed by a security officer that they had footage of Grimes leaving the bar, but not of him going overboard, she told USA Today . A Carnival spokesperson told the outlet at the time that cameras "may not have 100% visibility" on some areas of its ships.

When a Royal Caribbean crew member went overboard the Vision of the Seas in 2017, a Bahamian marine safety investigation determined a "clear view of crewmember jumping overboard was not detected as the area was not covered by CCTV (blind area)."

In a statement shared with Insider, CLIA emphasized that safety and security are a top priority for the industry.

"All cruise lines use a variety of measures to maintain a safe environment on board cruise ships, including physical barriers around the periphery of external decks and balconies, video surveillance systems in public areas, and trained crew members who can respond quickly to an unsafe situation or emergency," the spokesperson said.

Automatic detection systems are still being tested to meet international standards

The cruise industry, which says it's been testing man-overboard, or MOB, detection systems since as early as 2006, says that technology that senses someone going overboard and alerts crew members in real time is not yet reliable in marine environments nor widely commercially available.

In 2017, the Coast Guard said three providers had demonstrated "initial feasibility," but it recommended waiting to pass further regulations until an international standard was developed so as to not "add burden to industry and business processes."

Since then, the International Standardization Organization has developed technical requirements for systems to detect a person who has gone overboard from a ship. The standards, created with input from the Coast Guard and cruise industry, were published in 2020 , but a Coast Guard spokesperson said it's not aware of any products that currently meet them.

Marss, a global-technology company, said it has created a product, called MOBtronic, that is on track to meet international standards by the beginning of 2024. The system completed 120 tests with a 100% success rate, the company said, and would cost about $500,000 per ship to install.

Mike Collier, a program lead for MOBtronic, said the technology is already installed on one major cruise line's entire fleet, though he declined to specify which.

CLIA said once certified detection systems are available, it may take several years to see a significant uptake in the new technology due to limited shipyard and product availability.

A spokesperson for Carnival Corporation said that "despite the claims by manufacturers and their salespeople, these systems are still unreliable, as was the case when our company piloted some of the proposed technologies." MOB-detection technology does not prevent someone from climbing over the safety rails or jumping off, Carnival added.

After eight years of regulatory limbo, C ongress wants answers from the Coast Guard

After eight years of regulatory limbo, lawmakers want to know when the Coast Guard will enforce the man overboard technology requirements of the CVSSA and if it will require detection systems on every ship.

In May, four members of Congress, including Sen. Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut, sent a letter to the Coast Guard requesting information about the current use of man-overboard technology on cruise ships.

In response , the Coast Guard said it began the rulemaking process that would allow the agency to enforce the requirements back in 2015, but the rule was never finalized because of public comments that "questioned whether man-overboard detection technology was sufficiently reliable or available."

Collier, who was Carnival Corporation's man-overboard-detection expert prior to his role at MOBtronic, said the lack of concrete regulation from the Coast Guard is the reason cruise lines haven't fully committed to installing the technology.

"While there remains no clarity from the regulators, cruise lines will revert to making investment decisions based primarily on revenue generation," he said.

A Coast Guard spokesperson said there are no regulations preventing cruise lines from installing MOB detection systems on their vessels.

The Coast Guard is scheduled to introduce a revised version of the 2015 proposed rule in June 2024, which would clarify definitions, update existing regulations, and create performance standards for implementing the CVSSA.

"The Coast Guard is considering the best approach to address this issue as quickly as practicable," a spokesperson said.

Meanwhile, Blumenthal has introduced new legislation that he said would ease some of the original act's opacity by requiring cruise ships to install technology that can both capture images of and detect a passenger going overboard, a change CLIA said would be "pre-mature."

"Congress intended the Coast Guard to have — and use — the power to safeguard passengers more effectively by requiring technology that detects people going overboard in real time," he said in a statement shared with Insider. "Legislation would make this authority absolutely clear — and make Coast Guard regulations immune from any future attempts to weaken them."

Loved ones navigate the murky waters of a death at sea

Jennilyn Blosser, Peale's partner, said the most frustrating part about the process was how long it took for Carnival to locate the video footage and confirm that Peale had fallen overboard.

Blosser said her family told customer service around 2 p.m. on Monday, May 29, that they were unable to locate Peale. The employee then checked the group's bar tab and said Peale had recently ordered a drink on deck 10, she said, which led the family to believe he was still on the ship. Blosser said she later found out her cousin ordered the drink, not Peale.

Around 5 p.m., Blosser said she reported Peale missing to customer service a second time after he didn't show up to dinner. Carnival then conducted an onboard search and announced his name over the ship's loudspeaker, she said. The cruise line contacted the Coast Guard at 6:36 p.m.

"I just don't know why it took so long for them to be able to figure it out," she told Insider.

A Carnival spokesperson said the company's internal investigation "gives a different set of facts and sequence of events," but declined to give details citing "respect for his family."

Finding answers didn't get any easier after the Coast Guard suspended its search for Peale, his mother said, adding that the cruise line agreed to show her and her husband the ship's security footage of their son after she hired a lawyer.

When she emailed the Coast Guard questions about the details of the incident, such as what time Carnival viewed the security footage and the condition of the water when Peale fell, a Coast Guard attorney said the only way he could share the requested information was if she submitted a Freedom of Information Act request, according to emails viewed by Insider.

Filing a claim against a cruise line is one of the only ways for family members to obtain information about overboard incidents, Barnett of the ICVA said, adding that some lawyers won't take cases involving cruise ship fatalities because the complexities of maritime law make successful outcomes so rare.

For example, if a cruise passenger dies beyond three nautical miles of US, legal action and compensation is limited by the Death on the High Seas Act, or DOHSA, a federal law enacted in 1920 that allows only financially dependent relatives of the deceased to file a wrongful-death claim for monetary losses. DOHSA does not allow survivors to recover damages for pain and suffering or mental anguish, unlike other wrongful-death cases.

As for the Coast Guard's search-and-rescue missions for cruise passengers who go overboard, American taxpayers are the ones footing the bill , not cruise lines.

"There's no financial consequence when someone goes overboard to the cruise line," Jim Walker, a maritime lawyer who specializes in the cruise industry, told Insider. "So there's not really an incentive that forces them to install the system."

Watch: The rise and fall of the cruise industry

• Main content

• Court Tells Carnival To Pay Cruise Passenger $12M in Damages for Assault 

Andrea Santillan

• September 6, 2024

A Florida federal judge ruled in favor of a female passenger who was sexually assaulted during a 2018 cruise onboard Carnival Miracle. 

She was already awarded $10.2 million in damages in 2022. Still, she will receive another $2 million because Carnival Cruise Line appealed the verdict multiple times and unnecessarily extended the process by another two years. The company was also ordered to pay her $243,000 for psychological and medical expenses.

On August 30, the cruise operator owes the unidentified victim over $12 million.

After the incident, the plaintiff ran to her room with Anggara in pursuit. She locked herself inside, refusing to let her assailant enter. 

“I have depressive episodes,” The Washington Post quoted Doe in the court files. “I suffer from anxiety especially in public. It has affected how intimate I am with a person.”

The victim, who was 21 years old when the incident occurred, also admitted to entertaining suicidal thoughts before being hospitalized.

Anggara was eventually fired for having relations with a guest but was never arrested or charged. Carnival contested that the encounter was consensual, referencing an FBI report. 

She filed a lawsuit in 2019, accusing Carnival of being negligent in its hiring and staffing, not following protocols, subjecting her to false imprisonment, sexual assault, and inflicting emotional distress.

After the jury’s $10.2 million verdict, her lawyer, Daniel Courtney, described the sum as the largest compensation against a cruise line for a crime of its nature.

A recent report revealed that the number of cruise ship assaults has grown . From 87 incidents in 2019 to 97 during the first nine months of 2023, the number of official allegations climbed 11%. 

Last February, two women from Kentucky told police they were assaulted while their ship was docked in the Bahamas. In another case, a Margaritaville at Sea passenger sued its parent company for booking her in the hotel where she was victimized.

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