Search Called Off for Carnival Dream Man-Overboard Victim

The U.S. Coast Guard has announced that it has suspended the search for a 26-year-old man who reportedly went overboard from the cruise ship Carnival Dream on Thursday. Over the span of a two-day search effort, the U.S. Coast Guard and good samaritan vessels covered nearly 600 square miles of area, despite poor weather conditions. 

The man-overboard incident occurred at about 2045 hours Thursday evening at a position about 50 miles southeast of Galveston. The Carnival Dream had recently departed the port for a four-day cruise to Cozumel. "Based on camera footage, it appears the guest jumped from his stateroom balcony," Carnival said in a statement to local media. "The ship's command promptly began search and rescue procedures, returned to the area near where the incident occurred and notified the US Coast Guard."

"With our heartfelt condolences to the family and friends of this young man, we have made the difficult decision to suspend our search," said Lt. Cmdr. Caren Damon, search and rescue mission coordinator at Sector Houston-Galveston. "We would like to thank the three good Samaritan vessels, along with our crews, who faced extreme weather conditions during the search due to Tropical Storm Olga. At the height of the storm, search crews endured winds up to 35 mph, 12-foot seas and incredibly low visibility." 

Coast Guard Air Station Houston, Coast Guard Sector Corpus Christi, the USCG patrol boat Tiger Shark and the Carnival Dream were involved in the search.