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Live updates, cruise passenger who jumped to death from ship id’d as florida resident who argued with dad before leap.

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The  20-year-old passenger who jumped off a Royal Caribbean cruise  last week after an argument with his dad has been identified as a former high school football player and avid hunter living in Florida.

Levion Parker, of North Port, Florida, has been missing since he jumped overboard April 4 in front of his brother and father on the cruise to Cuba and the Bahamas’ Grand Inagua Island, the Broward County Sheriff’s Office said Wednesday.

The release of his identity comes shortly after the  Coast Guard called off its search  for Parker. 

Social media posts show Parker often went on hunting and fishing trips. He also played football for North Port High School before he graduated in 2022, according to the Daily Mail .

Parker jumped off the 18-story Liberty of the Seas after reportedly getting into an argument with his father.

Parker’s father was “fussing at him for being drunk,”  fellow passenger Bryan Sims told The Post .

“When we got to them, he said to his dad, ‘I’ll fix this right now.’ And he jumped out the window in front of us all,” Sims said.

“He was pretty drunk,” Sims added.

Sims hung out with Parker and his brother, Seth, 18, in the hot tub in the early hours of April before going their separate ways around 4 a.m. 

After Sims had used the restroom and dried off, he headed toward the elevators.

On his way there, he noticed the two brothers and their dad, Francel Parker, coming out of the sliding doors near the elevators. 

“As we were walking from the hot tub back to the elevators, his dad and brother were walking towards us. His dad was fussing at him for being drunk, I guess,” Sims said of the moment before Parker jumped.  

Royal Caribbean said it “immediately” launched search boats to look for him with help from the US Coast Guard.

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Parker’s father owns an air conditioning company and the family was cruising on the boat as guests of Tropic Supply, a Florida-based air conditioning wholesale company.

Tropic Supply had invited dozens of contractors to mark the company’s 50th anniversary, according to Daily Mail.

The Post has reached out to the family for comment. 

Nearly 400 people have gone overboard on major cruise lines between 2000 and 2020,  according to the Washington Post . 

As many cases are often deadly, many cruise lines have installed surveillance cameras and employed additional safety measures to help reduce risk. 

If you are struggling with suicidal thoughts or are experiencing a mental health crisis and live in New York City, you can call 1-888-NYC-WELL for free and confidential crisis counseling. If you live outside the five boroughs, you can dial the 24/7 National Suicide Prevention hotline at 988 or go to SuicidePreventionLifeline.org.

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

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

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

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

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

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

In a statement to Insider on Tuesday, a Carnival spokesperson said: "Our thoughts and sincere condolences continue to be with the loved ones of our guest, as the extensive search for him, carried out by the United States Coast Guard, has been suspended. Our Care Team continues to provide support to the guest's family."

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Watch: The rise and fall of the cruise industry

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

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

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

Gerard Bottino/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Meanwhile, Carnival Cruise Line said its Care Team “is supporting the missing guest's family on board” the ship, which "arrived today to Montego Bay, Jamaica as planned."

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

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Authorities urgently search for man missing after jumping off cruise ship in Gulf of Mexico

The missing man has been identified as Tyler Barnett, 28, of Houma, Louisiana.

Authorities say they are urgently searching the waters of the Gulf of Mexico after a man apparently jumped off a cruise ship.

Coast Guard Sector New Orleans watchstanders received a report at approximately 12:40 p.m. on Monday informing them that there was an unaccounted-for passenger from the Carnival Glory cruise ship, which was scheduled to stop at Grand Cayman Island and Cozumel, Mexico, before returning to New Orleans on Sunday, according to the ship's itinerary.

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"The unaccounted-for man has been identified by family members as Tyler Barnett of Houma, Louisiana," read a statement from the United States Coast Guard released on Tuesday. "Carnival reported he was last seen on security camera at approximately midnight Monday morning."

Carnival Glory's security team reviewed footage that showed Barnett jumped from the fourth deck of the ship at approximately 1:40 a.m. on Monday, according to a statement from Matt Lupoli, senior manager of public relations for Carnival Cruise Line.

"He can be seen climbing on a lifeboat and jumping from there," according to the statement.

The United States Coast Guard District Eight watchstanders immediately launched a Coast Guard Aviation Training Center Mobile HC-144 Ocean Sentry aircrew and an Air Station Clearwater HC-130 Super Hercules aircrew to conduct searches of "a roughly 200-mile area following the path of the ships voyage," authorities confirmed.

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Watchstanders have also been transmitting urgent marine information broadcasts to mariners to make them aware of the missing man in case he is seen in the water and can be rescued by another vessel.

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The United States Coast Guard said officials are combing through the search area located approximately 30 miles southwest of the Southwest Pass, in Louisiana.

The search had to be called off overnight due to "severe weather conditions and safety concerns," authorities said. However, as of Tuesday morning, an Aviation Training Center Mobile HC-144 Ocean Sentry had resumed search efforts.

As of Wednesday, search efforts had not turned up any clues but the Coast Guard said they will continue searching for the missing passenger as weather conditions permit.

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Coast Guard suspends search for man who went overboard on cruise ship

The U.S. Coast Guard has suspended its search for a 41-year-old man who went overboard on a cruise ship just before Christmas, it said Monday.

The Vision of the Seas was 127 miles east of Charleston, South Carolina, on Saturday night when the incident occurred, the Coast Guard posted on X.

Crew members said they immediately reported it to local authorities, which began a search and rescue mission, according to the ship's operator, Royal Caribbean Cruises.

Coast Guard crews searched more than 1,625 square miles over eight hours, according to the Coast Guard in Charleston.

"Out of privacy for the guest and their family, we have no additional details to share," said a spokesperson for Royal Caribbean.

Passengers were alerted just after 7 p.m. Saturday, when an announcement saying “Oscar, Oscar, Oscar, Starboard” was made over the ship’s loudspeakers, passenger Colin Schappi told NBC News affiliate WCBD in Charleston.

“All the staff made a face at each other,” said Schappi, who was at dinner onboard when the incident happened. “No one knew what was going on at first, then they did another announcement explaining what happened a few minutes later.”

The ship departed Baltimore on Friday and made its first stop in Orlando on Sunday, arriving in the Bimini Islands on Christmas Day, according to the cruise itinerary . Two more stops are planned in the Bahamas before it returns to Maryland.

The eight-day roundtrip was themed "Christmas," according to the cruise line's website.

Last month, a 28-year-old man jumped from a Carnival cruise ship bound for Jamaica. The Coast Guard searched over 5,600 miles, but he was never found.

Natalie Kainz is a news associate for NBC News.

Watch CBS News

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Coast Guard searching for man who jumped from cruise ship in front of his family

Royal Caribbean Liberty of the seas Cruise Ship FILE PHOTO: Falmouth, Jamaica - March 14 2019: Royal Caribbean Liberty of the Seas Cruise Ship sails near the coast of Falmouth Jamaica. On April 4, 2024, a 20-year-old jumped from the ship. (Debbie Ann Powell/Getty Images)

The U.S. Coast Guard is searching for a 20-year-old man who jumped from the deck of a Royal Caribbean cruise in front of his father and brother Thursday morning off the Bahamas.

>> Read more trending news

Officials said the man jumped off the 18-story Liberty of the Seas cruise ship 57 miles from Great Inagua in front of his father and brother, according to United Press International.

“The ship’s crew immediately launched a search and rescue effort alongside the U.S. Coast Guard, who has taken over the search,” a spokesman for Royal Caribbean said in a statement. The Liberty of the Seas is one of Royal Caribbean’s ships.

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

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

The Liberty of the Seas cruise ship is the 35th largest in the world, the Coast Guard said.

Witnesses said the man’s father and brother watched as he jumped, seemingly on a spur of the moment decision, over the side, according to The New York Post.

“I had hung out with him and his brother in the hot tub until 3:30,” passenger Bryan Sims told the Post.

“He was pretty drunk,” Sims continued. “As we were walking from the hot tub back to the elevators, his dad and brother were walking towards us. His dad was fussing at him for being drunk, I guess.

“When we got to them, he said to his dad, ‘I’ll fix this right now.’ And he jumped out the window in front of us all.”

The cruise set sail from Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, on Monday and is set to return on Friday, according to CruiseMapper .

Note: If you or someone you know is thinking of harming themselves, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline provides free support via the Lifeline by dialing 988 . For more about risk factors and warning signs, visit the organization’s official website .

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Coast Guard suspends search for man who jumped from cruise ship in front of stunned family

Royal Caribbean Liberty of the seas Cruise Ship FILE PHOTO: Falmouth, Jamaica - March 14 2019: Royal Caribbean Liberty of the Seas Cruise Ship sails near the coast of Falmouth Jamaica. On April 4, 2024, a 20-year-old jumped from the ship. (Debbie Ann Powell/Getty Images)

The United States Coast Guard has called off the search for a 20-year-old man who jumped overboard on a Royal Caribbean cruise as family members stood by, stunned.

>> Read more trending news

Officials said the ship was 57 miles from Great Inagua when the man jumped over the side of the ship, according to United Press International.

“The ship’s crew immediately launched a search and rescue effort alongside the U.S. Coast Guard, who has taken over the search,” a spokesman for Royal Caribbean said in a statement. The Liberty of the Seas is one of Royal Caribbean’s ships.

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

The Liberty of the Seas cruise ship is the 35th largest in the world, the Coast Guard said.

Witnesses said the man’s father and brother watched as he jumped, seemingly on a spur of the moment decision, over the side, according to The New York Post.

“I had hung out with him and his brother in the hot tub until 3:30,” passenger Bryan Sims told the Post. “It was standing room only. He sat right beside me the whole time.”

“He was pretty drunk,” Sims continued. “As we were walking from the hot tub back to the elevators, his dad and brother were walking towards us. His dad was fussing at him for being drunk, I guess.

“When we got to them, he said to his dad, ‘I’ll fix this right now.’ And he jumped out the window in front of us all.”

The cruise set sail from Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

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Coast Guard calls off search for Jaylen Hill after he was filmed jumping off Carnival cruise ship

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The US Coast Guard has ended its search for a man who jumped from the deck of a Carnival cruise ship.

Surveillance video reportedly captured 30-year-old Jaylen Hill leaping over the railing of the Carnival Elation on Sunday afternoon off the coast of Melbourne, Florida.

On Monday night, Coast Guard officials announced the search had been called off “pending any further developments”.

“We offer our deepest condolences to the Hill family. Our crews take our life saving mission very seriously. Any time we can’t bring a loved one home to their family is a pain we all feel,” Petty Officer Eric Rodriguez said in a statement.

Rescue crews scoured more than 1,374 miles in their search using the 87-foot cutter Tarpon from St Petersburg, a Hercules aircraft from Clearwater, and an Ocean Sentry plane from Miami.

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Carnival previously said the Elation crew was informed by Mr Hill’s travelling companion late on Sunday afternoon that he had not been seen all day.

“Sadly, after an exhaustive on-board search and a review of security camera video it was determined that he jumped,” the company said in a statement to The New York Post .

Carnival added that it alerted officials to the incident and was advised to continue to Jacksonville, Florida, on Monday, the final stop on the cruise’s four-day route through the Bahamas.

The 855-foot Elation weighs nearly 72,000 tons and can carry nearly 2,200 guests, as well as 900 crew members, according to Fox 35 Orlando .

In May, a Carnival passenger named Ronnie Peale went overboard the ship Magic and fell into the waters off Florida.

The Coast Guard was unable to locate the man after searching more than 5,171 miles over 60 hours and called off the search .

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Coast Guard Suspends Search For Man Who 'Jumped Off' Cruise Ship In Front Of Family

O n April 1, a 20-year-old man set sail from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, alongside his father and brother aboard the famous Royal Caribbean.

The four day cruise was just coming to an end when an incident took place involving the man and his father, who allegedly engaged in a shouting match that resulted in the young man throwing himself overboard. The family was left horrified after the harrowing incident, which took place on Thursday, per the Daily Mail . 

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The U.S. Coast Guard scrambled to save the distraught man who allegedly jumped due to a drunken argument with his father. 

"His dad was fussing at him for being drunk, I guess," another passenger, Bryan Sims, claimed in a statement obtained by the Daily Mail . "When we got to them, he said to his dad, 'I'll fix this right now,' and he jumped out the window in front of us all."

The unidentified man reportedly jumped off the 11th deck of the Liberty of the Seas ship, sailing between Cuba and the Bahamas when the harrowing situation occurred. 

Featuring 18 stories and over 3,000 people on-board, the luxury ship slammed into a halt as crew members frantically began searching for the missing passenger. Even fellow cruisers scanned the horizon and seas for any evidence of the passenger's survival. 

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"The early morning was definitely somber as so many people came out of their cabins to stare at the sea, hoping to be able to aid in finding the person,' fellow cruiser Amy Phelps Fouse stated. 

Business Insider reported that it is extremely rare to fall off a cruise ship, with a study showing that only 10 out of 31 million passengers went overboard in 2023. Two of them survived. 

Per the news outlet, a spokesperson for Cruise Lines International Association maintains that "the vast majority of cases are either reckless behavior or some form of intentional act," adding that "even one incident is too many."

As of April 9 — eight days after the incident — the Coast Guard officially concluded the search for the missing 20-year-old, without success. 

Cruise safety tips include traveling with a buddy, avoiding excessive alcohol, and being aware of the ship's safety guidelines.

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Passenger speaks out on what happened moments before man, 20, ‘jumped off’ cruise ship in front of family

The royal caribbean have provided a statement following the devastating incident.

A 20-year-old man went overboard on an 18-story cruise ship, sparking a search and rescue mission.

Reports have stated he ‘jumped off’ Royal Caribbean's Liberty of the Seas in front of his family.

The ship was sailing between Cuba and the Bahamas' Grand Inagua Island and the man is said to have jumped around 4:00 am on Thursday (April 4).

Onlookers state that his father and brother looked on ‘helplessly’.

It is hard to imagine what could have possibly led to the unnamed man leaping from the 15-deck ship.

The tragic news has been further confirmed by passengers, who said it appeared to be an ‘impulsive’ and ‘spur of the moment’ decision.

The Royal Caribbean have given a statement, provided to The NY Post, following the incident. They said : "The ship’s crew immediately launched a search and rescue effort alongside the US Coast Guard, who has taken over the search.

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

There are a number of passengers who were onboard at the time of the tragedy who have recollected the events.

One man, Bryan Sims, said: "I had hung out with him and his brother in the hot tub until 3:30.

"It was standing room only. He sat right beside me the whole time.

“He was pretty drunk.”

Sims then continued: “As we were walking from the hot tub back to the elevators, his dad and brother were walking towards us. His dad was fussing at him for being drunk , I guess.

“When we got to them, he said to his dad, ‘I’ll fix this right now'. And he jumped out the window in front of us all.”

Reflecting on what he witnessed, Sims concluded: "It was insane. It was just surreal.”

A second passenger onboard, Deborah Morrison, added: "There was a lot of yelling, and the crew was alerted immediately.

“ His family was horrified. Just beside themselves. I can’t even begin to imagine what they’re going through.”

While it is impossible to picture the horror on board the Liberty of the Seas, a third passenger has tried to shed some light. Amy Phelps Fouse said: "The early morning was definitely sombre as so many people came out of their cabins to stare at the sea, hoping to be able to aid in finding the person.

“Royal Caribbean has been excellent at communicating updates throughout the day.

“They have asked that people act with compassion in light of the tragic situation.”

LADbible Group contacted Royal Caribbean and the Coast Guard for comment.

Topics:  Cruise Ship , News

Kya is a Journalist at Tyla. She loves covering news, trends, and issues surrounding identity, sex and relationships, and mental health. Contact: [email protected]

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• Rescue mission underway after man, 20, ‘jumped off’ cruise ship in front of his family
• Coast Guard calls off search for man, 20, who jumped overboard on cruise in front of family
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Coast Guard searches for missing man reported overboard on Liberty of the Seas cruise ship

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — The U.S. Coast Guard is searching for a 20-year-old man who passengers claim jumped off a Royal Caribbean cruise ship that departed from South Florida.

According to the Coast Guard, the man was on the Liberty of the Seas cruise ship Thursday morning when he went overboard 57 miles from Great Inagua in the Bahamas.

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

Some passengers told the New York Post that the man appeared to be intoxicated when he jumped off the ship.

"As we were walking from the hot tub back to the elevators, his dad and brother were walking towards us," passenger Bryan Sims told the Post. "His dad was fussing at him for being drunk, I guess. When we got to them, he said to his dad, 'I'll fix this right now.' And he jumped out the window in front of us all."

Another passenger told the Post his family appeared "horrified" by what had happened.

Petty Officer 3rd Class Nicholas Strasburg told WPTV that the search was ongoing Friday morning. He couldn't say whether the man fell or jumped.

"The ship's crew immediately launched a search and rescue effort alongside the U.S. Coast Guard, who has taken over the search," Royal Caribbean said in a statement. "Our care team is providing support and assistance to the guest's family during this difficult time. For the privacy of the guest and their family, we have no additional details to share."

Strasburg said a Coast Guard cutter and helicopter were searching for the missing man and would continue to do so for as long as there is reasonable evidence to suggest survival.

The Liberty of the Seas was on a four-day cruise that departed from Port Everglades on Monday and returned Friday morning, according to cruise-tracking website CruiseMapper .

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• Cruise News

Carnival’s Security Footage Shows Missing Man Jumped Overboard

• November 14, 2023

Carnival Cruise Line has confirmed that the man who went missing from the Carnival Glory in the Gulf of Mexico intentionally jumped off the vessel in the middle of the night.

Tyler Barnett, a 28-year-old from Houma, Louisiana, was reported missing on Monday morning by a family member. Following not being seen for several hours, his disappearance prompted a search both on the ship and in the surrounding waters.

After notifying the US Coast Guard, two aircraft were launched on Monday and scanned an area of over 200 miles “due to the uncertainty of the potential time of him falling overboard,” the Coast Guard said.

Due to strong winds and high waves, the Coast Guard was forced to halt search operations on Monday evening. It had resumed again early on Tuesday.

CCTV footage suggests the guest jumped overboard

READ: Man Overboard on a Cruise Ship — What Happens Next?

The ship continues the cruise itinerary

The ship was cleared to continue sailing to its scheduled Montego Bay, Jamaica call and is due to arrive on Wednesday morning.

Carnival Glory’s week-long cruise from New Orleans also has scheduled calls on Grand Cayman and Cozumel. Carnival’s care team continues to support the Barnett family on board.

The 13th man overboard in 2023

This incident marks the 13th man overboard for the cruise industry in 2023. Of the 13, only two have been rescued from the water alive.

The latest person to go overboard on a cruise ship was on Royal Caribbean’s Symphony of the Seas on October 30 . He was found alive and was debarked off the ship the following day.

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Florida man believes son is alive after jumping off cruise ship: report

Levion parker, 20, jumped from royal caribbean's liberty of the seas ship on april 4.

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The father of a 20-year-old Florida man who leaped from the 11th floor of a Royal Caribbean cruise ship 57 miles from shore last week believes his "master diver" son is still alive, according to a report. 

Francel Parker told the Daily Sun that his son, Levion Parker, works on a commercial fishing boat and said that he had multiple flotation devices thrown down to him on April 4.

"As soon as he went off the side, I prayed over him," the dad told the outlet. "I was confident the prayers I said over my son were heard. I stand on the word of God. I believe he is alive." 

The U.S. Coast Guard called off their search in Cuban waters for the missing 20-year-old on Tuesday, a spokesperson for the U.S. Coast Guard 7th District Public Affairs Team confirmed. The 18-level ship was just hours away from port in Fort Lauderdale after four days sailing between Cuba and the Bahamas’ Grand Inagua Island when Levion jumped around 4 a.m.

SOUTH CAROLINA MAN VANISHES FROM CRUISE AFTER GETTING OFF AT POPULAR PORT OF COZUMEL, MEXICO

Levion Parker leaped from the 11th floor of the Royal Caribbean's Liberty of the Seas on April 4. His father believes that he is still alive. (levionparker/Instagram)

There were reports of an argument before Levion jumped, according to the Sun, but his father told the outlet that he had not been arguing with his son beforehand. Levion's father said his son had alcohol on the ship but that it was not a suicide, the Sun reported.

"We don't drink. I'd like to know how my son was served so much alcohol," the elder Parker told the outlet. 

The minimum age for drinking on a Royal Caribbean cruise departing from the U.S. or Caribbean is 21. The company could not immediately be reached for comment on how Parker was served. 

Levion Parker and his family were on the Royal Caribbean's Liberty of the Seas cruise. (Reuters)

Another passenger on the Liberty of the Seas cruise told the New York Post that Parker's dad confronted the 20-year-old and his 18-year-old brother, Seth, after they'd gotten out of the ship's hot tub.

"His dad was fussing at him for being drunk, I guess," Bryan Sims told the outlet. "When we got to them, he said to his dad, 'I'll fix this right now.' And he jumped out the window in front of us all." 

SEARCH FOR MISSING SOUTH CAROLINA CRUISE PASSENGER COMPLICATED BY JUNGLE TERRAIN AS FAMILY DEMANDS US HELP

Levion Parker's interests include deep sea fishing and hunting, his Instagram shows. (levionparker/Instagram)

Sims told the Post he had been chatting with the Parker brothers before Levion jumped overboard, remarking that the older brother was "pretty drunk." He said that Levion spoke of his jobs on yachts and fishing vessels.

Deborah Morrison, another passenger, told the Post that "there was a lot of yelling, and the crew was alerted immediately" after Levion jumped. 

"His family was horrified, just beside themselves," she told the outlet. "I can't even begin to imagine what they're going through." 

"The ship was moving pretty fast because it was during the night, and we were traveling a long distance," Sims recalled to the Post. "We were screaming and his dad was calling everyone to stop the ship… Lots of crew were up top and they started launching the smaller boats to search after we got turned around and back to the area I'm assuming."

Parker leaped from the 11th floor of Royal Caribbean's Liberty of the Seas. (levionparker/Instagram)

CRUISE SHIP STRANDED IN SPANISH PORT RESUMES SAILING AFTER REMOVAL OF PASSENGERS WITH VISA PROBLEMS

Royal Caribbean told the Post in a statement that the ship's crew "immediately launched a search and rescue effort alongside the U.S. Coast Guard, who has taken over the search." 

The next morning was "somber," passenger Amy Phelps Fouse told the Post.

"So many people came out of their cabins to stare at the sea, hoping to be able to aid in finding the person," she said.

Parker's father owns an air conditioning business, and the family was on the cruise as guests of Florida-based air conditioning wholesaler Tropic Supply, the Daily Mail reported. Dozens of their contractors had been invited onto the cruise for the company's 50th anniversary. 

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About 386 people were reported to have gone overboard on major cruise lines between 2000 and 2020, according to The Washington Post. A study by Cruise Lines International Association found that only 28% of those who fell overboard between 2009 and 2019 survived. 

Christina Coulter is a U.S. and World reporter for Fox News Digital. Email story tips to [email protected] .

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Dad Takes Aim at Cruise Staff After 20-Year-Old Son’s Fatal Jump

Francel Parker told his hometown newspaper that his family doesn’t drink, so he’s unsure how his son got so drunk just before he leaped to his death in the Caribbean.

Josh Fiallo

Breaking News Reporter

Getty Images/Bruno Vincent

The dad of Levion Parker , the 20-year-old Florida outdoorsman who drunkenly leaped to his death in front of his family on a Royal Caribbean cruise last week, is now questioning how his son was able to get so drunk despite being underage.

In an interview with his hometown newspaper, The Daily Sun , Francel Parker insisted that his son wasn’t suicidal and that they weren’t arguing before his fatal plunge—a statement that contradicts what others onboard told the New York Post they witnessed.

Instead, Francel told the paper his son’s spontaneous jump was done out of drunken ignorance—something he suggested should have been avoidable.

“We don’t drink,” he told the Sun . “I’d like to know how my son was served so much alcohol.”

Despite being over international waters at the time of the fatal plunge, roughly midway between Grand Inagua Island and Cuba, cruises that depart and return from U.S. ports are barred from serving alcohol to anyone under 21. Royal Caribbean has released a statement on the incident, but has not addressed witness statements that claimed Levion was drunk.

Parker added that he’s holding out hope his son, an outdoorsman who won a saltwater fishing tournament just last month, is still alive somewhere in the Caribbean—despite Thursday making it a full week since he disappeared into ocean, and two days since the U.S. Coast Guard called off its search.

“As soon as he went off the side, I prayed over him,” he said, adding that his son was a skilled diver. “I was confident the prayers I said over my son were heard. I stand on the word of God. I believe he is alive.”

The tragedy unfolded around 4 a.m. on April 4, on the 11th deck of the massive Liberty of the Seas cruise liner. Witnesses told the Post last week that Levion was hanging out in a hot tub with his brother when he was approached by his dad, who appeared angry that he’d been drinking.

After what he perceived as being an argument, the witness Bryan Sims told the Post he heard Levion tell his dad, “I’ll fix this right now.” Moments later, he jumped into the dark ocean below—an incident Sims described as being an “impulsive leap.”

Sims added that the ship was moving “pretty fast” and that Francel screamed for staff to alert the captain, which brought the ship to a complete stop within 20 minutes. The vessel launched rescue boats, but to no avail—Levion was nowhere to be found.

Francel told the Sun he flung six life rings off the ship hoping one would reach his son, who he said accompanied him on board along with his younger brother to take a break from his work on a commercial fishing boat.

Social media posts showed Levion graduated from North Port High School, in southwest Florida between Sarasota and Fort Myers, in 2022. He played football there, and regularly posted about fishing and hunting.

In in its lone statement on the incident, Royal Caribbean said last week it was “providing support and assistance” to Levion’s family.

“The ship’s crew immediately launched a search and rescue effort alongside the U.S. Coast Guard,” it said, adding, “For the privacy of the guest and their family, we have no additional details to share.”

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