Coast Guard suspends search for overboard man missing from cruise liner

After combing 2,086 square miles of the Atlantic Ocean, the Coast Guard crews suspended their search for an overboard Carnival Victory cruise ship passenger late Saturday night.

Thomas McElhany, 26, remains missing, despite crews from Florida searching nearly 32 hours for him.

“I have been in contact with members of Mr. McElhany’s family throughout our search efforts and know this is a very difficult and painful time for them,” said Cmdr. David Aldous, Coast Guard 7th District search and rescue mission coordinator, in an update emailed to Navy Times.

“Suspending a search is one of the most difficult decisions we have to make as first responders, and it is never made lightly.”

RELATED

Life in the fleet for new Coast Guard grads

"You're working with people who are highly specialized in those areas and you're trying to lead them, but they know way more than you."

By Julia Bergman

Coast Guard watchstanders received a distress call around 5 a.m. Friday stating that a male passenger had gone overboard.

Officials in Miami scrambled MH-65 Dolphin rescue helicopters and HC-144 Ocean Sentry maritime patrol airplanes. They were joined by crews from the Key West-based cutter Charles Sexton and the cutter Cochito, which is homeported in Miami.

The Panama-flagged Carnival Victory makes brief excursions to the Bahamas, Mexico and Cuba from Florida. A Destiny-class liner listed at 101,509 gross tons, Carnival Victory can carry up to 2,764 passengers, according to the Carnival Cruise Line.

Online vessel tracking websites placed the Carnival Victory on Sunday afternoon near Nassau.

In Other News

Two former Marines to serve prison time for neo-Nazi power grid plot

Five men, including four with military experience, have been convicted in the plot.

Here are the munitions Navy jets used for first time against Houthis

Fighter jets flying off the aircraft carrier Dwight D. Eisenhower used a variety of munitions for the first time ever in combat, according to the Navy.

Opinion

The US Navy risks outsourcing control of its drones

As the Navy prepares to field drones in larger numbers, officials may unwittingly outsource the means of controlling them to private companies.

Naval aviator becomes first American woman to secure air-to-air kill

The incident was one of more than 20 where Strike Fighter Squadron 32 deployed air-to-air missiles against Iran-backed Houthi one-way attack drones.

Military families overseas scrambling as U.S. dog travel rules change

Some airlines are no longer allowing dogs to be shipped on the same flight with their owners back to the states due to new U.S. CDC rules.

Load More