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