New video shows a woman struggling with cruise ship security moments before she allegedly jumped off a balcony and vanished into the Gulf of Mexico on Wednesday afternoon.
The footage shows three security guards on the Carnival Valor holding the apparently frantic woman’s arms behind her back. She was not handcuffed, despite prior claims from passengers.
She is heard screaming out the name ‘Alicia’ as the guards help her up a flight of stairs and off of the pool deck.
Shortly after being escorted off the deck, the 32-year-old woman allegedly broke free from the guards and jumped off the tenth floor of the ship and into the ocean.
Her leap was not shown in the video, however passengers told Fox 8 she hit the side of the boat before hitting the water face first.
Shocked passengers are seen rushing to the edge of ship as crew tossed life preservers and flares to mark her position in the water. The passengers claim the woman disappeared soon after.
The footage shows three security guards on the Carnival Valor holding the apparently frantic woman’s arms behind her back
She is heard screaming out the name ‘Alicia’ as the guards help her up a flight of stairs and off of the pool deck
‘Security got her out of the hot tub. Whenever they got to take her into custody, apparently she was upset and went over the rail,’ witness Kim Barnette told WAFB.
‘Security tried to calm her down, and she was belligerent toward them,’ passenger Emil Avenarius echoed in an interview with Nola.com.
‘They had to restrain her because she was combative. She broke loose and flipped herself over the side.’
Avenarius, a retired law enforcement officer, claims another eyewitness told him she ‘saw blood and jerking motions’ after the woman went overboard.
‘She said “it looked like a seizure,” and I said “that might have happened with the head injury.”‘
Shocked passengers are seen rushing to the edge of ship
Crew tossed life preservers and flares into the Gulf of Mexico to mark her position in the water
The Coast Guard, assisted by its aircrew, searched about 2,514 square miles for 14 hours before suspending their search at 5.37pm on Thursday. Officials said the decision to suspend the search did not come lightly and they ‘offer our deepest sympathies to the family during this difficult time’ (Pictured: A flare thrown to mark the woman’s location)
The woman was traveling on the Carnival Valor with her husband on a five-day cruise to Mexico that departed New Orleans on Saturday.
U.S. Coast Guard officials say the incident occurred on at-sea day as the ship began its route back to New Orleans after having visited ports-of-call in Costa Maya and Cozumel.
The woman went overboard around 2.28pm Wednesday, approximately 150 offshore of Southwest Pass, Louisiana.
Crew members attempted to mark her location and the ship circled around for several hours before the Coast Guard took over the search and rescue mission.
The Carnival Valor appeared to resume its route and returned to dock in New Orleans around 10.30am Thursday.
The Coast Guard, assisted by its aircrew, searched about 2,514 square miles for 14 hours before suspending their search at 5.37pm on Thursday.
‘The decision to suspend a search-and-rescue case is never one we come to lightly,’ Chief Warrant Officer Tricia Eldredge, Command Duty Officer at Sector New Orleans, told Fox 8. ‘We offer our deepest sympathies to the family during this difficult time.’
The Carnival Valor – which carries 2,980 guests and 1,180 crew members – has apparently departed on its next voyage, a four-day cruise to Mexico. The ship left New Orleans around 5.30pm Thursday and is scheduled to return to port on Monday morning
Carnival claims their care team is providing support to the woman’s husband, as well as their family.
It is unclear if any other family members were onboard the ship with the couple.
Meanwhile, the Valor – which carries 2,980 guests and 1,180 crew members – has apparently departed on its next voyage, a four-day cruise to Mexico.
According to CruiseMapper.com, the ship left New Orleans around 5.30pm Thursday and is scheduled to return to port on Monday morning.
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