Coast Guard suspends search for man who went overboard from cruise ship near Florida

Author: Victoria Albert / CBS
Published:
Carnival cruise ship. Credit: CBS

The Coast Guard said Monday that it has suspended its search for a 43-year-old man who reportedly jumped overboard a Carnival cruise ship on Saturday near Florida. It’s not yet clear why the man, identified by the Coast Guard as Tang Tran, went overboard.

“This evening I made the difficult decision to suspend the search for Mr. Tran,” Capt. Mark Vlaun, Commander of the Coast Guard Sector Jacksonville, said in a statement. “We are grateful to Carnival for the swift response and support to the family. Our deepest condolences go out to Mr. Tran’s family and friends during this difficult time.”

The decision comes days after the man was first reported missing. The cruise line told CBS News on Saturday that a man “jumped overboard” early in the morning as the ship, Mardi Gras, was returning to Port Canaveral.

The Coast Guard said it was first notified of the incident at approximately 1:15 a.m. on Saturday morning. It then searched 2,078 square miles over a 58-hour period.

Mardi Gras is Carnival’s largest cruise ship and is the only cruise ship in the world with an onboard rollercoaster, according to CBS Miami. The 1,130-foot ship boasts 21 decks and 2,641 staterooms, CBS Miami reported.

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