The US authorities are searching for a person that went overboard from the Independence of the Seas cruise ship in Florida waters on December 22, 2016, the US Coast Guard (USCG) informed.
The incident occurred some 33 miles southeast of Key Largo, the USCG said, adding that a 22-year-old man was reportedly seen going overboard.
Royal Caribbean, the US-based cruise company that owns the vessel, said in a statement that the firm is “saddened to report that a guest onboard Independence of the Seas was witnessed intentionally going overboard from deck 12.”
“The ship immediately alerted local authorities and turned around to help search for the guest. Two of the ship’s lifeboats and the US Coast Guard performed a search,” the company added.
At the time of the incident, the Independence of the Seas was en route to Port Everglades. The ship had departed Fort Lauderdale, Florida, on December 17, making port calls to Puerto Costa Maya and Cozumel, Mexico.
The USCG said that an Air Station Miami MH-65 Dolphin helicopter crew, an Air Station Miami HC-144 Ocean Sentry airplane crew, a Coast Guard Station Islamorada boat crew and the Coast Guard Cutter Margaret Norvell crew are assisting in the search.
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