Search suspended for man who went overboard on a Carnival cruise ship
After a 32- hour search, the Coast Guard has suspended a search for a missing man that went overboard a cruise ship, officials said.
The quest to find 26-year-old Thomas McElhany, who was a passenger on Carnival Victory, was halted at around 10:20 p.m. Saturday after he had plunged into the waters just south of Islamorada at around 5 a.m. the day before.
Air and water search teams covered about 2,100 square miles.
According to passengers on board the ship, Carnival security teams also conducted a room-by-room, floor-by-floor searches.
“Suspending a search is one of the most difficult decisions we have to make as first responders, and it is never made lightly,” said David Aldous, a Coast Guard search and rescue mission coordinator. “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.”
The Carnival Victory is stationed in Miami and departs for trips to the Bahamas, Caribbean and Cuba.
This story was originally published December 16, 2018 at 9:57 AM.
