Coast Guard Suspends Search For Missing Carnival Crew Member

MIAMI, FL — The U.S. Coast Guard on Sunday suspended a search for a missing 37-year-old Carnival crew member who fell overboard from a cruise ship 30 miles northwest of Cuba on July 4.

"After searching approximately 2,600 square nautical miles for over 45 hours, officials were unable to locate the crew member," the Coast Guard said.

The crew member worked on the Carnival Victory. A Carnival spokesperson declined to release the name of the crew member on Monday, citing privacy reasons.

The ship was traveling from Cozumel back to its home port of Miami when the crew member went overboard, according to the Carnival spokesperson.

“We’ve been in contact with the crew member’s family throughout our search efforts and know this is a very difficult time for them,” said Michael Mullen, search and rescue mission coordinator with the Coast Guard 7th District in Miami. “Suspending a search is one of the most difficult decisions we have to make as first responders and it is never made lightly.”

The search was conducted by the Coast Guard Cutters Charles Sexton and William Trump with air support from Coast Guard Air Station Miami HC-144 Ocean Sentry airplane aircrews. The Cuban Border Guard also conducted searches.