man who fell overboard cruise

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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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

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Overboard cruise passenger spent hours in Gulf of Mexico before he was rescued

A man who went overboard during a holiday cruise in the Gulf of Mexico was rescued after several hours in the water off New Orleans, authorities said Friday.

The 28-year-old, who was not publicly identified, may have been in the water for at least six hours when he was plucked from the sea Thursday. He was rescued about 20 miles south of Louisiana's Southwest Pass, where the Mississippi River meets the coast, U.S. Coast Guard officials said.

The man's survival was hailed as unlikely and possibly miraculous given the time he may have been in the water. Coast Guard Petty Officer Ryan Graves said the man did not have a flotation device, and survival at sea without one is unlikely.

"It makes it more miraculous that we were able to find him conscious and treading water," Graves said.

The cruise ship passenger man was last seen on board the Mexico-bound Carnival Valor about 11 p.m. Wednesday, Graves said.

Coast Guard rescue crews pulled the man to safety six hours after receiving a 2:30 p.m. Thursday report of a passenger overboard, Graves said.

It's not clear how or when the man went overboard. Carnival Cruise Lines said in a statement that an accidental fall into the water would be rare and physically challenging.

"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," it said Friday. "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."  

Night video from Coast Guard aircraft appears to show the man struggling in relatively calm but active seas, where his head dipped below the surface with every wave. The agency said in a statement the passenger was "responsive" when the crew on board a MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter reached him.

Surface temperatures in the gulf are roughly 70 degrees, Gross said. Data from coastal monitors, buoys and oil platforms collected by federal forecasters and the Scripps Institution of Oceanography measured water temperatures Friday from 63 degrees near the shore at Southwest Pass, to 70 and higher at sea.

Graves noted that in early October even some of the warmest seasonal waters challenged three men who spent 28 hours at sea, 25 miles off the Louisiana coast, after the boat they were using capsized in rough seas.

The water was warm, he said, but the the trio was beset by signs of hypothermia when they were rescued by Coast Guard crews Oct. 9. 

The average October sea temperature near shore at Mobile State Docks, Alabama, is nearly 77 ; it was slightly higher than 62 there Friday, according to the National Centers for Environmental Information.

Experts have suggested survival in water 60 degrees or cooler is not likely after six hours, but warmer water can extend chances of making it. Cold shock, swimming failure, and hypothermia can open the pathways to death, including drowning and cardiac arrest.

Dennis Romero is a breaking news reporter for NBC News Digital. 

• Australia News

Family of Warwick Tollemache releases tribute as search for the Australian man who went overboard cruise ship Quantum of the Seas is suspended

An Australian man who went overboard a cruise ship has been identified, with his devastated family sharing a heartbreaking tribute to the “kind, beautiful, and gentle soul”.

The Australian man who fell overboard a cruise ship enroute to Hawaii has been identified as Warwick Tollemache.

Crews on board the Quantum of the Seas conducted an immediate search for the 35-year-old about 11pm on Tuesday evening (local time).

The search was suspended on Thursday after the ship’s crew, the United States Coast Guard and the US Navy failed to locate him in the water during a large-scale hunt.

A widespread amber alert was also sent out via radio to notify nearby ships in the effort to find Mr Tollemache.

His family devastated family confirmed he had fallen overboard and remembered him as a "gentle soul" in an emotional statement.

“Our family is heartbroken at the loss of our beloved Warwick,” his mother Mandy Tollemache wrote to social media.

“He was a kind, beautiful, and gentle soul who was adored by everyone who knew him. He will be deeply missed.

“We kindly ask for privacy during this difficult time. Thank you for your understanding.”

Coast Guard search and rescue coordinator Kevin Cooper said the “difficult decision” to suspend the search came after discussions with his family.

“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,” he said in a statement.

Royal Caribbean Cruises, who operate the cruise ship, said their “deepest sympathies” were with his loved ones.

“While on its trans-pacific sailing, a guest onboard Quantum of the Seas went overboard,” it said in an earlier statement.

“The ship's crew immediately launched a search and rescue operation and worked closely with local authorities.

“Out of respect for the family, we will not share further details about this unfortunate event. Our thoughts and deepest sympathies are with his loved ones at this time.”

While it is unclear how Mr Tollemache fell, passenger Ken Carcas told Sky News Australia, according to multiple other passengers, “two crew him saw him go overboard"

"A lady heard a scream, went out onto the balcony and saw him drop past, hit the tender below and fall into the water," he said on Thursday.

He added the captain immediately made an announcement and begun the search. 

Maritime lawyer James Walker on Friday revealed to Sky News Australia that he believed the cruise ship did not have an Automatic Man Overboard System.

“In the US, there’s legislation requiring cruise ships to have automatic man overboard systems – notifying them that someone’s gone over the rails,” he told Peter Stefanovic.

“Through infrared technology and radar technology, they can actually track the person in the water. This particular ship – it did not have a man overboard system.

“This specific cruise line also has a policy not to permit the captain to turn the ship around until they first notify the home headquarters here in Miami, advising them that there’s been a man overboard before they can begin search and rescue operations.”

The cruise ship Quantum of the Seas has since arrived at Kona, a Hawaii island, after departing from Brisbane on April 12.

Passengers disembarked for some time at the tourist destination before boarding again to arrive at the final stop of Honolulu on Friday.

The tragedy followed the death of a woman on board the same cruise, after she suffered a medical emergency in an unrelated incident.

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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.

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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.

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.”

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Man dies after falling overboard from Royal Caribbean's Icon of the Seas cruise ship

The coast guard is investigating the cause of the man's fall., by gerardo pons • published may 30, 2024 • updated on may 30, 2024 at 6:08 pm.

The U.S. Coast Guard recovered the body of a man who fell overboard from a Royal Caribbean's Icon of the Sea cruise ship on Sunday, officials said.

Officials were alerted of the incident on Sunday, May 26, as the cruise ship was 300 miles off the Florida coast on its way to Mahogany Bay, Honduras, officials said.

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"The Coast Guard received notice that a man had fallen overboard from the Icon of the Seas," U.S. Coast Guard spokesperson Eric Rodríguez told Telemundo Miami . "Coast Guard District Seven launched a C-27 aircraft while the cruiser deployed one of her own rescue boats."

The Coast Guard is investigating the cause of the man's fall. No more information was revealed.  

At nearly 1,200 feet long and weighing 250,800 gross tons, the Icon of the Sea is the world's largest cruise ship . It departed on its maiden voyage on Jan. 27 from Miami.

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A passenger fell off the world’s biggest cruise ship and died

On the first leg of a seven-night voyage from florida, a man fell from a deck of icon of the seas and was pronounced dead after a two-hour rescue mission.

A man died after falling from the deck on the world’s largest cruise ship , Icon of the Seas last week. The massive vessel had just started a seven-night cruise from Miami, Florida, when the man fell from one of its 20 decks , sparking a two-hour rescue mission.

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The 1,200-foot long Icon of the Seas set sail from Florida on May 25 bound for its first stop at Honduras, reports the Royal Caribbean Blog . However, just a day after departing U.S. soil, the ship was forced into a dramatic rescue mission after an unnamed passenger fell from one of its decks.

The passenger reportedly plummeted into the Gulf of Mexico, sparking a two-hour rescue mission that involved crews from the ship as well as U.S. Coastguard officers. Rescue boats from the Royal Caribbean-operated cruise liner were quickly deployed to recover the man. As Royal Caribbean Blog reports:

The incident allegedly took place in the morning on Sunday, prompting an immediate rescue mission from the vessel. According to guests onboard Icon of the Seas, a small rescue boat was launched from Icon of the Seas to search for the overboard guest. Guests online stated that Icon of the Seas halted its course for approximately two hours to complete the search and rescue mission. Crew members took swift action while the ship maintained its location for the duration of the rescue mission.

However, while crews were able to recover the man after he fell from the ship and bring him back onboard alive, he reportedly succumbed to his injuries and died as a result of the fall. In a statement shared with Jalopnik, the U.S. Coastguard said:

The Coast Guard assisted in the search for a man who fell overboard the cruise ship Icon of the Seas. The cruise ship deployed one of their rescue boats, located the man and brought him back aboard. He was pronounced deceased. Beyond assisting in the search, the U.S. Coast Guard did not have much involvement in this incident.

Jalopnik has reached out to Royal Caribbean, which operates Icon of the Seas , for a statement about the death onboard its ship.

Royal Caribbean launched Icon of the Seas earlier this year, with the 7,600-passenger ship undertaking its maiden voyage in January. The ship, which is roughly 1,200 feet long and requires a crew of almost 3,000, features a water park onboard, an ice rink onboard and the largest swimming pool aboard any cruise ship.

A version of this article originally appeared on Jalopnik .

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Cruise passenger who fell overboard rescued in ‘Thanksgiving miracle’

US coast guard located man about 20 miles south of Southwest Pass, Louisiana, after he fell overboard the Carnival Valor ship

In what some officials were hailing as a “Thanksgiving miracle” a passenger was rescued from the waters of the Gulf of Mexico on Thursday evening after falling overboard from a cruise ship, the US coast guard (USCG) announced.

At 8.25pm on Thursday, the coast guard located a 28-year-old man in the sea about 20 miles south of Southwest Pass, Louisiana , after he apparently fell overboard the New Orleans-to-Mexico Carnival Valor cruise ship on Wednesday evening.

In a statement to CNN, Carnival officials said the man was reported missing on Thanksgiving Day after he walked away from his sister at an onboard bar the night before at 11pm – likely to use the bathroom.

He never returned, prompting his sister to alert staff members the next day. CNN reports that numerous announcements were made throughout the ship for the man to check in with guest service, but to no avail.

At around 2.30pm on Thursday, the cruise ship alerted the coast guard about the missing passenger.

“Watchstanders at Coast Guard Sector New Orleans received a call from the Carnival Valor at approximately 2.30pm Thursday, reporting a passenger aboard the cruise ship was missing. Watchstanders then coordinated the launch of several rescue crews to begin searching,” the coast guard said in a statement .

The rescue crews included a boat from Venice, Florida, a New Orleans-based helicopter, as well as airplanes from Clearwater, Florida and Mobile, Alabama, Lt Seth Gross, a USCG search and rescue coordinator told CNN.

The 200-plus-mile search was made complicated by the time difference between when the passenger was last seen and when the Coast Guard was alerted. “We knew that communication with the mariners in the Gulf of Mexico was going to be critical, Gross said.

Six hours later, crew members from the vessel Crinis discovered “a person in the water”, the USCG said.

The person turned out to be the missing passenger.

Aircrew from the coast guard MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter promptly “vectored into the area … hoisted the man on to the helicopter and transferred him to awaiting emergency medical services at the New Orleans Lakefront airport”, said the USCG.

“He was able to identify his name, confirmed that he was the individual that fell overboard,” Gross told CNN. “He was showing signs of hypothermia, shock, dehydration” but was reported to be in stable condition by the coast guard late Friday morning.

“The fact that he was able to keep himself afloat and above the surface of the water for such an extended period of time, it’s just something you can’t take for granted and certainly something that’ll stick with me forever,” Gross said, adding that the water temperature on Thursday night in the gulf was just slightly above 70F (21C).

Gross added: “The will to live is something you have to account for in every search and rescue case. This is one of the absolutely longest [times in the water] I’ve heard about and one of those Thanksgiving miracles.”

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Passenger describes ‘dystopian’ scene on world’s biggest cruise ship after man ‘jumped’ overboard.

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A passenger described the “dystopian” scene on the world’s largest cruise ship after a man went overboard Sunday and died — including the premature celebration that broke out when passengers heard he was pulled from the water.

Zachary Normandin, 31, told The Post that some 300 passengers eating dinner on Royal Caribbean’s new Icon of the Seas cheered when the captain informed the ship that the missing traveler was found.

“Everyone in the dining room clapped and we’re like ‘yeah,’” the Connecticut resident said. “We assumed that the guy was fine.”

But it emerged that the passenger — who has not been identified — was dead, and the 1,200-foot cruise ship continued on its voyage.

Normandin said he heard from several other passengers that the man jumped from the ship, though the Coast Guard only said he fell overboard.

The result was an almost surreal atmosphere as most travelers continued to party as if nothing had happened.

“I don’t think everyone knows about the guy dying. I think it’s kind of purposely silenced,” Normandin said, adding he doesn’t think Royal Caribbean wants to scare anyone.

The Icon of the Seas, which can carry up to 7,000 passengers and 2,000 crew members, was on the first day of a seven-day voyage around the Gulf of Mexico when the tragedy occurred. It’s not due back in Miami until June 1.

It has made two ports of call, including in Honduras and Costa Maya, Mexico.

The Coast Guard told The Post Monday night the cruise ship deployed rescue boats, located the man and brought him back on board.

“He was pronounced deceased,” the Coast Guard said.

Normandin, a married father of one, said the Icon of the Seas’ captain initially revealed a man had gone over the side of the ship and the vessel was forced to turn around in hopes of finding the missing traveler.

“I thought we were going straight back to Miami, I thought that was it. But no, everything just kept on going,” said Normandin, who posted part of the rescue mission on social media over the weekend.

Normandin said he’s surprised how many passengers went about their business during the search and in the aftermath even as news spread that the passenger had died.

“I think people were just trying not to think about it, maybe, I don’t know,” he said.

“It just seemed like more people would have been like ‘Oh my gosh, what’s going on,’ but no, people were just going about their day. It’s just kind of dystopian.”

Week-long voyages on the mega-ship generally cost around $1,500 to $2,000.

Royal Caribbean hasn’t said much about the incident, citing the need to give the grieving family privacy.

“Prayers to the family, I just hope they get through this,” Normandin said. “I just wish I knew who they were so I could reach out to them and hug them or something.”

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Man Dies After Falling From Icon Of The Seas Cruise Ship: 'Everything Just Kept On Going'

A man died after falling from a Royal Caribbean's Icon of the Sea cruise ship on Sunday, May 26, but you wouldn't really know that based on what happened on the ship afterward, according to a passenger. Passenger Zachary Normandin, 31, spoke to the New York Post and described a kind of eerie scene after the tragic incident: things basically continued as normal. He told the outlet that he doesn't believe everyone on the ship knew that the man had died. "I think it’s kind of purposely silenced," he told the outlet.

@oliveblend #iconoftheseas #royalcaribbean #search #overboard #cruise ♬ Happiness - Adam Russell Visuals

At the time of the incident, the cruise ship was 300 miles off the Florida coast and heading toward Mahogany Bay, Honduras. The cause of the fall is under investigation, reported NBC Miami.

Some outlets, including the New York Post , have reported that the man jumped from the ship, while others, including NBC Miami, reported that the man fell.

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Normandin told the New York Post that about 300 passengers were eating dinner when they were informed that the man had been found. They assumed he was found safe, Normandin explained.

“Everyone in the dining room clapped and we’re like ‘yeah,’” he told the outlet, since they assumed he had survived. They later found out that he had died.

Normandin acknowledged that people might have different ways of coping with tragic events, but he was still surprised by how people "were just going about their day" after it happened.

"It’s just kind of dystopian," he told the outlet.

“I thought we were going straight back to Miami, I thought that was it. But no, everything just kept on going,” he told the outlet.

KIRO7 reported that the trip paused for two hours during the search for the passenger. The passenger has not been identified.

The cruise started on May 25, 2024, and was set to last for seven days, according to CruiseHive. The Icon of the Sea is the world's largest cruise ship with a capacity of up to 7,600 passengers.

Royal Caribbean said the following in a statement shared with CruiseHive:

"The ship’s crew immediately notified the U.S. Coast Guard and launched a search and rescue operation. Our Care Team is actively providing support and assistance to the guest’s loved ones during this difficult time. For the privacy of the guest and their family, we have no additional details to share."

Body found in search for passenger overboard on Pacific Adventure cruise ship due to arrive in Sydney

A body has been found in a large search operation off the coast of Sydney after a man was reported missing off a cruise ship early Monday.

About 10:30am, officers from the Police Marine Area Command retrieved a body from the water. 

The alarm was raised on the P&O vessel Pacific Adventure about 4am when it was about 10 nautical miles, or 18 kilometres, off Sydney Heads.

The ship was due to dock at White Bay Terminal a few hours later but that was delayed as the search was underway.

NSW Police Marine Commander Joseph McNulty earlier said police were hopeful because one of three emergency life rings that had been deployed had not been retrieved, fuelling hope the man may have latched onto it. 

Swells of 4 to 5 metres hindered efforts of rescue teams, which searched a 60-square-nautical-mile area and used infrared technology to search for the man's heat signature. 

A second cruise ship which was in the area has also joined the search. 

Both ships tried to lower life boats in to the water but had to abort due to the rough conditions. 

Family being cared for onboard

At least three police vessels and a number of tug boats were deployed in the search, alongside the Toll rescue helicopter. 

In a statement, P&O said there were more than 2,600 guests still on board the ship, which has now been cleared to return to port in Sydney. 

"Pacific Adventure's next voyage due to depart White Bay this afternoon has been delayed, with the ship expected to leave later tonight on a four-night voyage to Queensland," it said. 

"We thank guests for their care, understanding and patience on what's been a distressing day for guests and crew.

"Our thoughts are with the family of the guest at this difficult time."

Police have launched an investigation into the death and will prepare a report for the coroner. 

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Watch CBS News

U.S. Coast Guard suspends search for man who fell off cruise ship that departed from Baltimore

By CBS Baltimore Staff

December 25, 2023 / 4:13 PM EST / CBS Baltimore

BALTIMORE -- The U.S. Coast Guard on Christmas Eve suspended its search for a 41-year-old man who fell off a ship belonging to a cruise line that departed from Baltimore.

#FinalUpdate : The @USCG has suspended the search efforts for the missing cruise ship passenger 127 mi east of #Charleston . Coast Guard crews searched more than 1,625 square miles and 8 hours. Anyone with new information is asked to call @USCG Sector Charleston: 843-740-7050 — USCGSoutheast (@USCGSoutheast) December 25, 2023

The man had been traveling on a Vision of the Seas cruise ship when he fell overboard on Saturday, according to a spokesperson for Royal Caribbean International.

The ship was about 127 miles east of Charleston, South Carolina, when the incident happened, according to the U.S. Coast Guard.

The U.S. Coast Guard's aircrews searched more than 1,625 square miles over the span of about eight hours, U.S. Coast Guard officials said.

"The ship and crew immediately reported the incident to local authorities and launched a search and rescue mission," the spokesperson said on Sunday. "Out of privacy for the guest and their family, we have no additional details to share."

The spokesperson did not confirm or deny whether the passenger was presumed to be dead.

• United States Coast Guard

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Royal Caribbean halts cruise for search and rescue mission after man jumps overboard

• Updated: May. 29, 2024, 9:05 p.m. |
• Published: May. 29, 2024, 2:35 p.m.

A cruise passenger on the Royal Caribbean "Icon of the Seas" cruise jumped overboard, prompting a search and rescue mission where the passenger ultimately was found dead. TNS

• Katherine Rodriguez | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

A cruise passenger on the Royal Caribbean “Icon of the Seas” cruise jumped overboard, prompting a search and rescue mission where the passenger ultimately was found dead.

The passenger jumped from the 1,200-foot-long ship shortly after it left Miami, Florida, for Honduras Sunday morning, according to a statement from the Coast Guard obtained by The New York Post.

Once people noticed the emergency, the ship immediately halted its operations and the 2,350-person crew conducted a search-and-rescue mission. The ship stayed put for two hours, according to Cruise Hive.

The passenger was brought back onboard in critical condition. He eventually died of his injuries.

It is unclear what caused the man to jump, although his identity is being kept secret for the privacy of the deceased individual and his family.

The “Icon of the Seas,” which is the world’s largest cruise ship, took its maiden voyage in January 2024.

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• Travel Updates

Dad-of-three who went overboard cruise ship is identified - as his brother reveals his sad final act

A man who went overboard on a cruise ship last week has been identified, as his brother revealed what happened before the tragedy.

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A father-of-three who was pulled from the water after going overboard a cruise ship last week has been identified, with his brother claiming he had racked up a $4000 casino debt on board.

P&O’s Pacific Adventure was due to dock in Sydney Harbour at 6am on Monday, May 6 at the end of a three-day Elvis-themed cruise, but Shane Dixon, 50, went overboard in the early hours.

The ship remained in the waters just off the city’s eastern suburbs while a huge search was underway and a man’s body was retrieved from the water at 10.30am, 10 nautical miles off Sydney Heads.

His brother spoke to Daily Mail Australia saying their mother was “devastated” and “broken”.

“She has already buried one son and now she has to bury another one,” Scott Dixon said.

Scott said his brother was going through a rough time and had spent $5000 at the cruise’s casino on the Friday, and then after borrowing money from the family to repay the debt, spent another $4000 the following night.

“His brain was probably going 100 miles an hour. He probably thought, ‘s***, I’ve done it again. I can’t afford it and I can’t ask mum for more money,’’ Scott said.

A spokeswoman for P&O Australia said they won’t be commenting on the claims due to the coroner’s investigation that is underway.

P&O’s Pacific Adventure had been hosting an Elvis-themed voyage called ‘Tribute to The King’, promising a long weekend of “themed parties, karaoke, trivia and much more”.

One passenger on board the ship, Kel, said that when the alarm sounded on board she lept out of bed.

“We jumped out of bed so fast,” she wrote.

“Was hectic! Been circling in the same spot for over 5hrs now.”

P&O’s Pacific Adventure was cleared by NSW Police to return to port shortly before midday.

In a statement P&O Australia said: “We thank guests for their care, understanding and patience on what’s been a distressing day for guests and crew.

“Our thoughts are with the family of the guest at this difficult time.”

The Carnival Cruise ship Carnival Splendor was also at sea during the search despite being due in port that morning.

It is understood that Splendor had been on standby to assist in the search.

A passenger, who asked not to named, told news.com.au that the situation at sea was “scary”.

“We’re docked out at sea and aren’t allowed in yet due to the search and rescue,” he said before 8am on Monday, May 6.

“An announcement came out for us at 7am saying that an emergency rescue operation was being conducted and we weren’t allowed to enter the channel into the harbour.

“We are maybe 20km out from land and will stay here until we get permission to head back in.”

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Another passenger on board Splendor, who goes by @auscruisecouple on TikTok, shared a selfie of the conditions.

“We have been offshore since about 4 o’clock this morning unable to dock due to an emergency situation,” she said.

“We are witnessing the helicopter searching and search and rescue boats as well … it is as you can see, quite choppy.”

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Passenger who jumped from world’s largest cruise ship fell 90 feet to his death: staffer

T he passenger who jumped from the world’s largest cruise ship on Sunday fell a staggering 90 feet to his death, sources said – and staff on board knew exactly what had happened practically before he hit the water.

The man, who has not been identified, jumped from the running track on the fifth level of Royal Caribbean’s Icon of the Seas on the first day of its week-long voyage, a security team member told The Post when the ship returned to Miami Saturday morning.

Each deck is about 20 feet high, so the man fell from approximately 90 feet, the staffer explained.

The man’s body was transported via van to the Miami-Dade County Medical Examiner’s Office, according to crew members.

Cops also met the ship and took statements at the docks, and they retrieved a copy of the surveillance footage of the fatal incident.

When the man jumped on May 26, the overboard detection system was activated almost immediately – prompting onboard staff into action, the security team member continued.

“We knew what had happened literally seconds after he hit the water. The protocol is that we’re supposed to immediately make visual contact to see if we can spot him,” the source said, noting that one guard also saw the man jump on a security camera feed .

“It’s the captain’s call whether to stop and turn around, and he did,” he added.

Once the alert was sounded, the ship’s specialized security team prepared to take a rescue boat out to pick up the man.

The rest of the security team was stationed at predetermined lookout spots to do a 360-degree scan of the surrounding waters, while the Coast Guard was also briefed and immediately sent out an aircraft to the site, according to the crew member, who asked not to be named.

While the potential rescue got underway, the Icon of the Seas’ medical team was put on high alert.

The ship had paramedics, nurses, former ER doctors, and even a surgeon on board – as well as all the lifesaving medical equipment one typically finds in a small hospital, a member of the ship’s medical team told The Post.

The man was likely not alive when he was recovered from the water , the source added.

The doctor on board pronounced him dead once his body was transported to the medical bay, according to the crew member.

The passenger’s body was then stored in the on-board morgue, which is equipped with eight drawers.

There were no other fatalities on-board during the week-long voyage, which stopped in Honduras, Mexico and the Bahams, the medical team member said.

An onboard care team assisted the man’s family in the days after the incident, they explained to The Post.

The loved ones had the option of staying on the ship or flying home – though most bereaved families opt to stay with their relative’s body, the source noted.

The other passengers disembarking the massive ship – which holds up to 7,600 guests and 2,350 crew members – said they mostly went about their business for the rest of the cruise, though there was a prayer circle in the man’s honor.

“I didn’t know him but I felt horrible about it,” says Janine Pernell, a passenger from Atlanta.

Pernell was one of about 20 people who attended the small memorial that was held on the running deck.

“We just all held hands and prayed that the family would find comfort and peace. There were a lot of tears. We felt like it was all we could do,” she lamented.

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• Human Interest

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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Partner of australian man who fell overboard cruise ship ‘devastated’.

US Coast Guard suspends search for Australian man seen falling from cruise

The grieving partner of an Australian man who fell to his suspected death from a cruise ship travelling to Hawaii has shared her devastation over the search being called off.

Brisbane man Warwick Tollemache, 35, fell overboard from the Royal Caribbean Quantum of the Seas ship in the Pacific Ocean on Wednesday night, sparking a major air and sea search.

WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: US Coast Guard suspends search for Australian man seen falling from cruise.

After searching through Thursday and for more than six hours on Friday, the US Coast Guard made the “difficult decision” to suspend the operation.

His girlfriend Celine La Roche said she had been clinging to hopes Tollemache could still be alive.

La Roche told The Courier-Mail she had been dating Tollemache “on and off” for six years.

“They should have kept looking – I don’t understand why they stopped the search,” she said.

“I’m just devastated.”

She shared her heartache on social media earlier, telling a friend Tollemache was “lost at sea”.

“I love you, always have and always will. RIP my love,” she said in an online tribute.

‘Near impossible’ conditions

Tollemache fell overboard while the ship was about 800km south of Kailua-Kona on the west coast of O’ahu, also known as Big Island, at 11pm on Tuesday (Wednesday night AEST).

Despite desperate search efforts involving beacons, buoys and rescue crafts, crews were unable to find any sight of him.

“The Coast Guard has made the difficult decision to suspend the active search for the passenger aboard the Quantum of the Seas,” search and rescue mission co-ordinator Kevin Cooper said on Friday.

Cooper said the decision came after discussions with Tollemache’s family and Australian authorities.

With the combination of the 16-storey fall, exhaustion, dehydration and hyperthermia, “the chances of survival are very, very small”, survival expert and physiologist professor Michael Tipton told 7NEWS.

“As time progresses, you’ve got drift patterns that are making where the person might be and more unpredictable.”

Huge swells overnight made conditions “near impossible” to find Tollemache, the coast guard said.

Passengers, however, had held out hope search parties would defy the odds.

They disembarked the ship when it came into berth at Kona, Hawaii on Friday, telling 7NEWS it was a “horrible feeling” on board.

“We went onto our balcony and saw the searchlights and were sort of sitting there praying and hoping he’d be found,” one woman said.

Loved ones paid tribute to the 35-year-old on social media on Friday, with mother Mandy Tollemache sharing her family’s anguish.

“Our family is heartbroken at the loss of our beloved Warwick,” she wrote.

“He was a kind, beautiful, and gentle soul who was adored by everyone who knew him.”

Another said Tollemache “left an indelible mark on all who knew him”.

“He will live on in all of us,” they wrote.

Crew ‘frantic’ in their search for missing man

Ivan Rukavina, from Melbourne, who was on the cruise, told 7NEWS.com.au he heard “Oscar Oscar Oscar” over the ships’ loudspeaker — a code meaning man overboard.

Rukavina claims Tollemache fell from the 15th-floor balcony, about 20m above his room and directly above the main pool area.

He said it would not have been hard to jump over the ship’s glass railing.

Following the incident, crew members attempted to lower lifeboats into the water.

Rukavina said crew were “frantically” trying to get the lights on the lifeboats to work.

“I heard someone say ‘there’s no lights’,” he said.

All passengers were told to go back to their rooms so crew could conduct a head count.

Rukavina said he didn’t know whether Tollemache was travelling alone or with family.

“It’s sad for their family,” he said, adding, “It’s a bit disturbing, to be honest.”

Another passenger Ken told 7NEWS.com.au he and his wife were awake at the time of the incident, and saw the lifeboats and search lights being used.

He said he’d heard from multiple passengers that two members of the crew saw the man go overboard.

“A lady heard a scream, went out on to the balcony and saw him drop past, hit the tender below and fall into the water,” Ken said.

He added the crew had dealt with the situation in a “very professional and respectful way”.

“The captain ... hung around as long as (he) could before being told by the US Coast Guard to resume course.”

Earlier medical incident not linked

The cruise company has now confirmed a woman died from a medical episode just hours before Tollemache went overboard.

There were earlier unconfirmed reports the woman was the man’s partner. However, Royal Caribbean has quashed the claims, saying the incidents were not connected.

In a speech addressing passengers on Thursday morning, the captain said his “deepest sympathies and thoughts” were with the man’s family.

“We’ll do our best to provide assistance and support to the family (and) out of respect we will not provide any other details,” the captain said.

Quantum of the Seas is on a 16-night cruise that departed Brisbane on April 12 and is set to conclude in Honolulu on April 28, local time.

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