U.S. Coast Guard searching for man reported overboard from Carnival ship

MELBOURNE, Fla. — The U.S. Coast Guard said Monday it was searching for a man who went overboard from a cruise ship off the coast of Central Florida.

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Officials said the man, 30, had been sailing on Carnival Elation before he ended up in the ocean about 95 miles east of Melbourne, Florida.

The Coast Guard said it had deployed two aircraft and a cutter to search the sea where the incident was reported.

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Carnival Cruise Line’s Elation sails between Jacksonville and the Bahamas.

Carnival released this statement to Channel 9 on Monday:

“Carnival Cruise Line can confirm that a male guest jumped overboard from Carnival Elation while the ship was returning to Jacksonville, Fla. on Sunday.

The crew was notified by his traveling companion late in the afternoon about his missing status after 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.

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.

Carnival Elation was on a four-day Bahamas sailing and returned to its homeport of Jacksonville on Monday morning.”

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