A man who went overboard from a Carnival cruise ship was found alive in the Gulf of Mexico.
According to the United States Coast Guard, the crew of the bulk carrier Crinis discovered the man in the ocean about 20 miles away from Southwest Pass, Louisiana. Authorities say the man, whose name has not been publicly released, was a guest on the Carnival Valor and was reported missing at around 2:30 p.m. Thursday.
Matt Lupoli, a spokesperson for Carnival, told CBS News the man was at a Valor bar with his sister Wednesday night and left to use the restroom at approximately 11 p.m and never came back. His sister contacted the Carnival crew the next day and informed them her brother never returned to his room.
The Coast Guard launched a search-and-rescue mission at around 2:30 p.m., retracing the ship’s route before the man was eventually found at around 8:30 that night. A Coast Guard MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter aircrew hoisted the man onto the aircraft, and transferred him to a Louisiana hospital. The crew said the man was “responsive but exhibiting hypothermic-like symptoms.” He is said to be in stable condition.
“We are beyond grateful that this case ended with a positive outcome,” Lt. Seth Gross, a Sector New Orleans search and rescue mission coordinator, said in a statement. “It took a total team effort from Coast Guard watchstanders, response crews, and our professional maritime partners operating in the Gulf of Mexico to locate the missing individual and get him to safety. If not for the alert crew aboard the motor vessel Crinis, this case could have had a much more difficult ending.”
The cruise ship is now reportedly bound for Cozumel, Mexico. Lupoli said the company’s Care Team is “providing support to the family members of the missing guest who were sailing with him and remain on board.
“We greatly appreciate the efforts of all, most especially the U.S. Coast Guard and the mariner who spotted the guest in the water,” Lupoli told CBS News.
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