The U.S. Coast Guard announced on Tuesday that it has officially called off the search for a man believed to have fallen overboard from a cruise ship while it was en route back to San Francisco from Ensenada, Mexico.
The cruise ship, Ruby Princess, which is operated by Princess Cruises, returned to San Francisco at 6:50 a.m. on Monday after completing a five-day voyage. Upon learning of the missing passenger, who is a 72-year-old American traveling alone, officials conducted multiple searches on the ship and reviewed security footage. Despite their efforts, there was no sign of the missing individual, according to a statement from Princess Cruises.
Princess Cruises stated, “Having ruled out other possibilities, this incident is being categorized as a man overboard situation.” Following the incident, the Coast Guard initiated aerial search operations around 45 miles (72 kilometers) offshore from Monterey, California. However, this search was suspended around 5:30 p.m. Monday, with Coast Guard Petty Officer Loumania Stewart noting that it would remain on hold “pending any new developments.”
In addition to the Coast Guard’s efforts, U.S. Customs and Border Protection is also looking into the circumstances surrounding the man’s disappearance.
On a related note, the Ruby Princess departed from San Francisco once again on Monday evening, setting off on a 16-day cruise to the Hawaiian Islands.
