A passenger was spotted jumping overboard from a cruise ship returning from the British Virgin Islands, but no sign of the person was found after searching half a day, officials said Sunday.
Carnival Cruise Lines said in a statement that its Carnival Legend vessel was on route from Tortola just after 1 a.m. Saturday when the passenger was reported overboard.
U.S. Coast Guard spokesman Mike Lutz said a C-130 airplane crew was sent to help with the search but didn’t provide other details.
The Carnival Corp. did not identify the missing passenger.
Passengers said they were told a father of a young child had argued with his wife in his cabin before jumping over a balcony. They said a call of “Bravo, bravo,” used to alert crew members to a serious incident, was heard over the ship’s announcement system.
“Even though he decided to do that, it was still upsetting for his family and everybody else on board,” guest Linda Monterzino said.
After 12 hours without finding the guest, the Coast Guard sent the 963-foot-long ship back to New York, where it docked Sunday night to complete its eight-day cruise, Carnival said.
The Carnival Legend, dubbed a Fun Ship on the cruise company’s Web site, can carry more than 2,100 passengers and 900 crew members. It features 12 decks and 1,062 staterooms, almost all with ocean views.
“The company’s thoughts and prayers are with the family and the loved ones of the missing guest,” it said in the statement.