Carnival Cruise Lines has confirmed that a 35 year-old male passenger is reported to have jumped overboard from the Carnival Legend as it sailed from Tortola to New York early Sunday morning and that the ship’s command initiated search and rescue activities.
Petty Officer Christopher Evanson of the U.S. Coast Guard’s Atlantic Area Public Affairs office said the man had reportedly argued with his wife and two young children before leaping off the sixth floor balcony in their stateroom, in front of his family.
Evanson said the Coast Guard received notification from Carnival shortly after the incident and launched a C-130 search airplane from Clearwater, Fla., and conducted a search until 6:00 pm Sunday. At that time the search was suspended and the Coast Guard ordered the Carnival Legend to continue on to New York.
Carnival said the vessel arrived in New York on May 28, at approximately 7:45 p.m., 12 hours behind schedule. Efforts were made to contact all guests scheduled to sail on the next voyage to advise them of the ship’s departure delay, the line said.
That sailing’s itinerary for its eight-day cruise was changed to Grand Turk, Turks and Caicos; San Juan and St. Thomas, substituting Grand Turk for Tortola. Guests on that sailing received a $50 per person credit to their shipboard accounts to defray any expenses they may have incurred prior to boarding.
Carnival also added that its thoughts and prayers are with the family and loved ones of the missing guest.
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