An elderly individual is believed to have deliberately gone overboard from a cruise ship off the coast of Brisbane, Australia, just hours after a woman on the same ship passed away. The incident occurred on the Carnival Splendor, prompting the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) to conduct a search and rescue operation, which unfortunately did not locate the man.
The ship’s PA system issued a ‘man overboard’ alert at 1:44 am, with tracking data indicating a change in the vessel’s course around 1:55 am. Reports suggest that the man’s family notified the crew of his disappearance.
According to Carnival, CCTV footage showed the man climbing over the safety railing and jumping overboard. The search and rescue efforts lasted approximately 16 hours before being halted at 5:30 pm.
An AMSA spokesperson stated that despite an extensive search involving various assets, the missing individual was not found, leading to the release of all search resources.
The Carnival Splendor was en route from Moreton Island to Sydney when the incident occurred. The cruise line has informed the authorities and pledged to cooperate in the investigation upon the ship’s return to Sydney. Carnival’s Care Team is providing support to the family of the missing individual.
Tragically, this incident follows the death of another passenger from the same ship during a snorkelling excursion. The 67-year-old Tasmanian woman was discovered unresponsive in the water on Friday morning.
The Carnival Splendor, with a capacity for 3000 passengers and 1150 crew members, spans 952 feet and navigates through Australia, New Zealand, and the South Pacific region.