An elderly individual on a cruise ship is believed to have jumped overboard and is now presumed dead shortly after the death of another passenger on the same vessel.
The incident occurred on the Carnival Splendor cruise ship off the coast of Brisbane, Australia yesterday morning. Despite efforts by the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) to conduct a search and rescue operation, the man could not be located.
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. According to reports, the man’s family notified the crew of his absence.
Carnival reported to 9News that CCTV footage captured the man climbing over the safety railing and jumping overboard. The search and rescue operation lasted approximately 16 hours before being halted at 5:30 pm.
An AMSA spokesperson confirmed that despite an extensive air and sea search involving multiple assets, the missing person could not be found, leading to the release of all search assets.
The ship was en route from Moreton Island to Sydney when the incident occurred. Carnival Cruise has informed the relevant authorities and pledged to cooperate with the investigation upon the ship’s return to Sydney, with their Care Team providing support to the guest’s family.
This incident follows the tragic drowning 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.
Carnival Splendor, with a capacity for 3000 passengers and 1150 crew members, and spanning 952 feet, operates in the waters of Australia, New Zealand, and the South Pacific region.
