Missing Cruise Ship Passenger: Coast Guard Searches For Man Who Went 'Intentionally' Overboard Royal Caribbean Ship Off Florida Coast

The United States Coast Guard was called in to search for a man who went overboard from a Royal Caribbean cruise ship off the coast of the Florida Keys Thursday morning. A 22-year-old man was reportedly seen jumping from the 12th deck of the ocean liner at 1:49 a.m. about 33 miles southeast of Key Largo.

“A Coast Guard Air Station Miami MH-65 Dolphin helicopter crew, an Air Station Miami HC-144 Ocean Sentry airplane crew, a Station Islamorada boat crew and the Cutter Margaret Norvell crew are assisting in the search,” the Coast Guard said in a news release.

Royal Caribbean confirmed the Independence of the Seas cruise ship was finishing a four-night trip and was on its way back to port in Florida when the incident occurred.

“We are saddened to report a guest onboard Independence of the Seas was witnessed intentionally going overboard from deck 12 at 1:45 a.m.,” the company said in a statement. “The ship immediately alerted local authorities and turned around to help search for our guest. Two of the ship’s lifeboats and the U.S. Coast Guard conducted a search.”

The ship continued on its way to Florida after the Coast Guard officially took over the search, NBC Miami reported.

The Coast Guard typically steps in when passengers go missing from cruise liners, be it deliberately or accidentally. From 2006 to 2016, 283 people fell overboard from cruise ships, Cruise Junkie reported.

Two passengers went missing from cruise ships in separate incidents in May alone. A 46-year-old man fell 100 feet overboard from a Royal Caribbean cruise ship also near Key Largo. The Coast Guard looked for David Mossman of Texas for 48 hours before the search was called off. A 33-year-old woman went missing from a Carnival Cruise ship sailing the Mexico coast. The Coast Guard covered more than 4,300 square miles during a 20-hour search before it was called off.