Carnival cruise passenger who went overboard was 'dead set' on surviving

U.S. Coast Guard rescued James Michael Grimes after almost 20 hours, he says.

LA FAYETTE, ALABAMA -- James Michael Grimes is speaking out for the first time in an exclusive interview with ABC News after going overboard on a Carnival cruise ship after being missing for almost 20 hours.

The 28-year-old man said he was determined to make it out of the Gulf of Mexico alive, calling it the experience of a lifetime.

Grimes said he treaded water for nearly 20 hours after falling overboard on Thanksgiving Eve -- battling jelly fish, rip currents and shark-infested waters before being airlifted by the U.S. Coast Guard on Nov. 24. shortly after 8 p.m., the U.S. Coast Guard told ABC News.

Grimes had only been aboard the Carnival Valor for a day before his sister reported him missing. The two were last seen together at a restaurant where Grimes had won an air guitar contest before going to the bathroom.

PHOTO: James Michael Grimes during an appearance on Good Morning America, Dec. 2, 2022.

MORE: Coast Guard rescues man who went overboard on Carnival cruise ship

That is the last thing he remembers. Grimes said he believes the fall overboard knocked him unconscious.

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

Alone in solid darkness, and the light from the stars and the moon, Grimes decided in that moment he would make it out of the water.

"I felt like I was given a chance right then... you're alive for a reason... that [fall] could've killed me, but I felt like from that moment on, I was trying to stay positive. And, you know when you're here, you're still alive for a reason. So, all you got to do now is swim and survive. I was hoping... they will start looking for me... they will find me eventually," Grimes said.

MORE: Royal Caribbean to offer Starlink internet on all its ships

Grimes was aboard the five-day cruise with 18 of his family members for Thanksgiving. When he didn't return to his cabin that night, his sister reported him missing.

PHOTO: In this March 3, 2022 file photo The Carnival Valor cruise ship sets sail from the Port of New Orleans in New Orleans.

The ship was on its way to Cozumel, a Mexican island in the Caribbean, and was released by the Coast Guard to continue to its destination after the rescue was made.

"The Jayhawk aircrew hoisted the man onto the helicopter and transferred him to awaiting emergency medical services at the New Orleans Lakefront Airport," a statement from the Coast Guard read.

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

"We greatly appreciate the efforts of all, most especially the U.S. Coast Guard and the mariner who spotted the guest in the water," the Coast Guard said in a statement Thursday to ABC News. "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. 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."

Carnival Valor had said in a statement to ABC News that it conducted a search-and-rescue operation after Grimes went missing.

"Carnival Valor retraced its route to support the search and rescue, but the ship has now been released by the U.S. Coast Guard, and will continue on its way to Cozumel. Carnival's Care Team is providing support to the family members of the missing guest who were sailing with him and remain on board," the statement at the time said.

Against all odds, Grimes said he kept a positive attitude and "just kept swimming."

In addition to his attitude, he said it was his will to see his family again that kept him afloat.

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

"I always thought there's a greater purpose for my life. Now, I know for sure I'm meant to do something on this Earth. And, you know, I don't know. It was just the Lord was out there helping me, giving me strength and helping me stay afloat," he added.

ABC News' Victoria J. Arancio contributed to this report.

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Coast Guard Suspends Search for Passenger Who Fell From Cruise Ship

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

carnival cruise man overboard 2021

By Johnny Diaz

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Officials halt search for Carnival Cruise passenger in her 20s who fell overboard

Passengers suspect ‘foul play’, article bookmarked.

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A woman fell into the ocean from a Carnival Cruise Line ship balcony on Saturday, prompting an international search effort, which has since been called off.

Footage of the woman in her 20s falling from the fifth-floor balcony of her cabin was captured on security cameras, taking place in the Pacific Ocean near Ensenada, Mexico .

The US Coast Guard and the Mexican navy searched for the woman for 31 hours, before halting the rescue mission.

Following the accident, the Carnival Miracle boat returned to Long Beach, so authorities could conduct a proper investigation.

“After 31+ hours of searching, #USCG assets are standing down pending additional information,” the coastguard posted on its official Twitter account. “USCG conducted first light searches this morning off the coast of Ensenada, Mexico with negative results. USCG assets are transiting back to US waters.”

There were more than 1,100 passengers on the ship at the time of the accident, who were awoken with an alert that said: “Man overboard! Man overboard! Man overboard!”

A paramedic onboard has suggested “foul play”.

“Someone has lost their life, whether it was done by accident or by foul play I don’t know,” Daniel Miranda, a Northern California firefighter paramedic on board the ship, told CBS Los Angeles. “There’s some high suspicion of foul play.”

The woman who fell overboard is now presumed dead. Carnival Cruise Line has issued a statement about the incident: “Our thoughts are with the guest and her family, and our Care Team is providing support.”

When a “man overboard” incident happens, cruise ships will pinpoint the place where the person went into the water and turn the boat back. Crew are required to perform an initial search as they notify the emergency services. The FBI will be tasked with conducting an investigation, the Bureau has jurisdiction in other coastal waters. There is no central body that tracks man overboard figures, data from research conducted by Associate Professor of Social Work at Memorial University, Ross A. Klein, found that 325 people have gone overboard on cruise ships and ferries in the past 18 years.

The Independent has contacted Carnival Cruise for further updates.

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Man who fell overboard cruise ship off Florida coast was celebrating fiancé's birthday: 'his first cruise'

A 35-year-old man aboard a Carnival Cruise ship fell overboard Monday off the Florida coast, according to U.S. Coast Guard officials.

The Coast Guard said in a tweet that crews were searching for a passenger who went overboard off the Carnival Magic vessel around 186 miles east of Jacksonville, Florida.

As of Tuesday afternoon, the Coast Guard said it had searched 4,044 square miles over 19 hours, adding that it will continue the search with air assets.

A spokesperson for Carnival Cruise Lines told Fox News Digital that security video shows the man leaning over the railing of his balcony and falling into the water at 4:10 a.m. on Monday. On late Monday afternoon, his companion reported him missing, according to the spokesperson.

carnival cruise man overboard 2021

MARSEILLE, FRANCE - 2021/06/01: A close-up of the Carnival Magic cruise ship docked in Marseille. Carnival Cruise Lines ships in Marseille. (Photo by Gerard Bottino/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)

"The U.S. Coast Guard has released the ship from any search and rescue efforts and advised the ship’s captain to continue on its way to Norfolk where it arrived as planned on Tuesday," the spokesperson added.

According to a GoFundMe created by Jennilyn Blosser, the 35-year-old man is Ronnie Lee Peale Jr., her partner, and said it was his "first cruise."

"We went on a cruise to celebrate my birthday and sadly he went overboard and still has not been recovered. 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," Blosser wrote.

Blosser told WTKR that Peale Jr. is her longtime fiance.

"He was the life of the party. It just hurts too much to even type, let alone talk about it," Blosser said. "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."

Coast Guard crews searching for 20-year-old who fell overboard from cruise that set sail from Port Everglades

carnival cruise man overboard 2021

Courtesy Royal Caribbean

EASTERN CARIBBEAN (WSVN) – Coast Guard crews from Miami are searching for a 20-year-old man who fell overboard from a cruise ship.

The USCG said that the man went overboard from the Royal Caribbean Liberty of the Seas cruise ship 57 miles from Great Inagua, Thursday morning.

#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

According to CruiseMapper , the 4-day, round-trip Eastern Caribbean Cruise set sail from Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale on Monday and is set to return on Friday.

USCG Cutter Seneca and Air Station Miami HC-144 crews are conducting the search.

Copyright 2024 Sunbeam Television Corp. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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U.S. Coast Guard Has Suspended Search For Woman Overboard on Carnival Cruise

The coast guard concluded its search after over 31 hours spent looking for the woman, who fell overboard around 3:30 a.m. saturday., by staff reports • published december 12, 2021 • updated on december 12, 2021 at 11:05 pm.

The U.S. Coast Guard has suspended its search for the woman who went overboard on a Carnival cruise ship off the coast of Mexico early Saturday morning. She was not found.

"After 31+ hours of searching, #USCG assets are standing down pending additional information,'' the USCG announced on Twitter at 10:36 a.m. Sunday.

FINAL UPDATE: After 31+ hours of searching, #USCG assets are standing down pending additional information. USCG conducted first light searches this morning off the coast of Ensenada, Mexico with negative results. USCG assets are transiting back to U.S. waters. — USCG Southern California (@USCGSoCal) December 12, 2021

Security camera footage captured the woman, believed to be in her 20s, falling overboard around 3:30 a.m. The incident was reported 35 miles off the Mexican coast, near Ensenada.

Get Southern California news, weather forecasts and entertainment stories to your inbox. Sign up for NBC LA newsletters.

That ship, the Carnival Miracle, docked in the Carnival Cruise terminal in Long Beach on Sunday morning.

Another passenger, Josh Zufelt, said passengers were awoken around 3:15 a.m. by an announcement on the ship's PA system: "Man Overboard."

According to Zufelt, rescue efforts began shortly after.

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The Southern California U.S. Coast Guard announced on Twitter on Saturday that they were working to locate the woman, alongside a USCG helicopter crew based in San Diego and the Mexican navy.

This article tagged under:

carnival cruise man overboard 2021

  • missing woman

Carnival cruise ship returns to Long Beach as crews search for woman who went overboard

Carnival officials confirmed the woman went overboard from the balcony of her stateroom.

Leticia Juarez Image

LONG BEACH, Calif. (KABC) -- A cruise ship that set sail to Ensenada, Mexico, from Long Beach that was carrying a woman who went overboard is back as the search for the woman continues.

According to officials, a woman in her 20s was reported missing from the Carnival Miracle cruise ship at around 3:30 a.m.

Carnival officials later confirmed one of the ship's guests went overboard from the balcony of her stateroom.

U.S. Coast Guard personnel joined the Mexican Navy Saturday in the search after the incident, which happened about 35 miles off the Ensenada coast. At 10:30 a.m., after a 31-hour search effort, Coast Guard officials said crews are standing down as they wait for additional information.

The FBI waited for the ship to dock in Long Beach to assist in the investigation and search efforts.

Meanwhile, Eyewitness News spoke with a passenger who was startled by the announcement early Saturday morning.

"About 3 a.m., we were awakened by a general announcement across the ship with a warning going, 'Man overboard! Man overboard! Man overboard!'" recalled Daniel Miranda. "So the ship has been given limited information. They told us we were stuck looking for the lady, and then they called us to clear us up. The crew's been very tight-lipped and of course, they've had different areas of the ship that have cordoned off for their search when they were searching."

The Coast Guard said on Twitter that an MH-60 Jayhawk was involved in the search over ocean waters.

The incident remains under investigation.

City News Service contributed to this report.

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Coast guard crews searching for man who fell from cruise ship.

Chris Gothner , Digital Journalist

MIAMI – U.S. Coast Guard crews from Miami are aiding in the search for a man who went overboard from a South Florida-based cruise ship Thursday morning.

It happened on Royal Caribbean’s Liberty of the Seas, which, according to CruiseMapper , was on a four-day roundtrip voyage from Port Everglades.

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The 20-year-old fell from the ship about 57 miles off the coast of Great Inagua island in the Bahamas.

Authorities haven’t publicly identified the man or said whether he was a passenger or crew member.

Coast Guard Cutter Seneca and crews from Coast Guard Air Station Miami are leading the search, according to the agency.

#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

Copyright 2024 by WPLG Local10.com - All rights reserved.

About the Author

Chris gothner.

Chris Gothner joined the Local 10 News team in 2022 as a Digital Journalist.

Local 10 News @ 11PM : Apr 07, 2024

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Crime and Public Safety | Coast Guard suspends search for woman who went…

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Crime and Public Safety

Crime and public safety | coast guard suspends search for woman who went overboard near ensenada.

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

“After 31+ hours of searching, #USCG assets are standing down pending additional information,” the Coast Guard tweeted at 10:36 a.m. Sunday. “USCG conducted first light searches this morning off the coast of Ensenada, Mexico with negative results. USCG assets are transiting back to U.S. waters.”

The passenger, who was in her 20s, was reported overboard from the balcony of her stateroom aboard the Carnival Miracle at about 3:30 a.m. Saturday, according to Coast Guard Petty Officer Adam Stanton.

“We advised Carnival Miracle guests this morning of an overboard incident involving one of our guests from the balcony of her stateroom,” Carnival said in a statement Saturday. “After assisting the U.S Coast Guard with a search, the ship has been released and is proceeding to Ensenada and will then return to Long Beach as scheduled on Sunday morning. Our thoughts are with the guest and her family, and our Care Team is providing support.”

U.S. Coast Guard personnel from the San Diego sector joined the Mexican Navy in the search.

FINAL UPDATE: After 31+ hours of searching, #USCG assets are standing down pending additional information. USCG conducted first light searches this morning off the coast of Ensenada, Mexico with negative results. USCG assets are transiting back to U.S. waters. — USCG Southern California (@USCGSoCal) December 12, 2021

The Coast Guard tweeted Saturday that an MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter was involved in the search over ocean waters, and later said that “the USCGC Forrest Rednour is scheduled to continue the search throughout the night.”

The cruise left from Long Beach on Thursday on a ship that can carry up to 2,100 passengers.

The ship returned to Long Beach on Sunday morning.

The FBI was waiting for the ship to dock in Long Beach to assist in the investigation and search efforts, ABC7 reported.

“About 3 a.m., we were awakened by a general announcement across the ship with a warning going, ‘Man overboard! Man overboard! Man overboard!’” Daniel Miranda told ABC7. “So the ship has been given limited information. They told us we were stuck looking for the lady, and then they called us to clear us up. The crews been very tight-lipped and of course, they’ve had different areas of the ship that have cornered off for their search when they were searching.”

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Woman falls overboard from Carnival cruise ship off Mexico

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

carnival cruise man overboard 2021

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

carnival cruise man overboard 2021

'Drunk' man jumps off cruise ship in front of shocked family

A young man on holiday with his family reportedly leaped from their cruise ship into dark waters while his family watched helplessly.

The 20-year-old, who has not been identified, was a passenger on Royal Caribbean’s Liberty of the Seas when the incident took place as the ship travelled between Cuba and the Bahamas’ Grand Inagua Island, the New York Post reported.

Witnesses told the outlet the man’s father and brother watched as he went overboard, while an onlooker described the jumper as “pretty drunk” in the hot tub until about 3:30 a.m.

“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.”

Sims said the man replied to his dad, “I’ll fix this right now,” and then jumped.

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Passengers reported on social media that the vessel came to a stop after the man plummeted into the waters below.

“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.”

They added: “For the privacy of the guest and their family, we have no additional details to share.”

The man remains missing and a spokesperson for the U.S. Coast Guard said they were still considering it a rescue operation.

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A detailed view of the 'Liberty of the Seas' in the Port of Southampton, on April 22, 2007 in Southampton, England.

NBC New York

Coast Guard searching for man who went overboard from Royal Caribbean cruise off the Bahamas

Officials said the man went overboard from the Liberty of the Seas cruise ship 57 miles off Great Inagua.

By NBC6 • Published April 4, 2024 • Updated on April 4, 2024 at 5:26 pm

The U.S. Coast Guard is searching for a 20-year-old man who went overboard from a Royal Caribbean cruise Thursday morning off the Bahamas.

"The ship's crew immediately launched a search and rescue effort alongside the U.S. Coast Guard, who has taken over the search," a Royal Caribbean spokesperson 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."

#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
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Search and rescue launched after man, 20, 'jumped off' cruise ship in front of family

Search and rescue launched after man, 20, 'jumped off' cruise ship in front of family

Royal caribbean's liberty of the seas was sailing between cuba and the bahamas' grand inagua island when the incident occurred..

Poppy Bilderbeck

Poppy Bilderbeck

A 20-year-old man is reported as having 'jumped off' a Royal Caribbean cruise triggering a search and rescue mission.

On Thursday (April 4) at around 4:00am, a young man went overboard on Royal Caribbean's Liberty of the Seas as it sailed between Cuba and the Bahamas' Grand Inagua Island .

A search and rescue mission was immediately launched by the cruise line and passengers have since spoken out about the ongoing incident.

The incident occurred on the Royal Caribbean's Liberty of the Seas.

A fellow passenger onboard the cruise called Bryan Sims told The Post that he was hanging out with the unnamed man and his brother in the hot tub 'until 3:30am'.

According to Sims, it was 'standing room only' and the passenger - who was allegedly ' pretty drunk' - was 'sat right beside [him] the whole time'.

He continues: "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 passenger is reported as having 'jumped' from the cruise.

Another passenger Deborah Morrison said the crew were 'alerted immediately' by the 'yelling' which erupted.

And a passenger took to Cruise Critic Community page online to write : "Currently on Liberty, heading back from Puerto Plata. Woke up last night between 2-3 and thought I heard an 'Alpha, Alpha, Alpha'. Learned this morning that it was an 'Oscar, Oscar, Oscar'.

"Other passengers said that the lifeboats had been out around the ship all morning. Later the Captain announced that the Coast Guard was taking over the search.

"At noon the Captain announced that we would be making up time and will probably only be an hour and a half late getting back to Ft. Lauderdale , we should be docking around 7:30 AM.

"My thoughts go out to all affected by this sad situation."

Fellow passengers have spoken out in support of the unnamed man and his family.

Morrison added the unnamed man's family appeared 'horrified' and were 'beside themselves'.

Sims similarly describes the experience as 'just surreal'.

A Royal Caribbean spokesperson told the Post: "The ship’s crew immediately launched a search and rescue effort alongside the US Coast Guard, who has taken over the search."

And when other guests onboard the ship woke up, many offered to help, with passenger Amy Phelps Fouse saying: "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."

The US Coast Guard has taken over the search for the man.

She added: "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."

The Royal Caribbean spokesperson added: "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 search and rescue mission is reported as taking place in the sea around Cuba.

The US Coast Guard confirmed to The Post that the mission is ongoing as the man has yet to be discovered.

UNILAD has contacted Royal Caribbean and the Coast Guard for comment.

Topics:  Mental Health , Royal Caribbean , Travel , World News , Health

Poppy Bilderbeck is a Senior Journalist at LADbible Group. She graduated from The University of Manchester in 2021 with a First in English Literature and Drama, where alongside her studies she was Editor-in-Chief of The Tab Manchester. Poppy is most comfortable when chatting about all things mental health, is proving a drama degree is far from useless by watching and reviewing as many TV shows and films as possible and is such a crisp fanatic the office has been forced to release them in batches.

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