The U.S. Coast Guard announced on Tuesday that their search for a man who is thought to have fallen off a cruise ship has been discontinued. This incident occurred while the vessel was on its return journey to San Francisco from a trip to Ensenada, Mexico.
On Monday morning, the Ruby Princess, a cruise liner operated by Princess Cruises, docked in San Francisco at approximately 6:50 a.m. after completing a five-day cruise. According to a statement from the cruise line, officials conducted multiple searches throughout the ship for the missing passenger. They also reviewed security footage but unfortunately found no evidence of the missing individual, identified as a 72-year-old American man traveling alone.
Princess Cruises confirmed that, after eliminating other potential scenarios, this event is being considered as a man overboard situation.
The Coast Guard initiated aerial searches on Monday afternoon, focusing on an area of the Pacific Ocean roughly 45 miles (72 kilometers) offshore from Monterey, California. However, by around 5:30 p.m., the search efforts were called off “pending any new developments,” according to Coast Guard Petty Officer Loumania Stewart in a Tuesday morning communication.
Meanwhile, U.S. Customs and Border Protection is looking into the circumstances surrounding the man’s disappearance.
Later that evening, the Ruby Princess set sail again for a 16-day journey to the Hawaiian Islands.
