Cruise passenger ‘goes overboard’ in the Atlantic on voyage from Ireland to Florida as British coastguard joins search operation
- MS Amsterdam left Glengariff, in County Cork, yesterday evening bound for Fort Lauderdale, Florida
- Woman went missing at 1.30am and ship was turned around to search for her
- HM Coastguard said they coordinated the search, but it has now been called off
A woman travelling on a cruise ship from Ireland to Florida is feared to have gone overboard after going missing.
The ship, MS Amsterdam, was turned around by the captain to search for the woman after she did not report to a ship-wide call out yesterday.
The liner left Glengariff, in County Cork, Ireland, on Tuesday evening and was headed to Fort Lauderdale, in Florida.
A woman travelling on the MS Amsterdam cruise ship (pictured in Sydney) from Ireland to Florida is feared to have gone overboard after going missing
The woman is said to have gone missing at around 1.30am.
One passenger revealed that the missing woman ‘either fell or jumped off the ship just off the coast of Ireland’, Cruise Law News reported.
HM Coastguard said they had been coordinating the search for the missing woman, but that it has now been called off.
A spokesman said: ‘HM Coastguard had been coordinating the search for a missing woman, who was last seen on a cruise ship in the early hours of Wednesday morning, approximately 240nm (275miles) south west of Malin Head, Ireland’
‘The search was terminated yesterday evening, pending further information. Our thoughts are with all those involved.’
Maria Luciano Hernandez, who was on the ship, said on Facebook yesterday morning that passengers had been informed by the captain that coast guards were looking for the passenger.
The ship was turned around 400km from the Irish port of Glengariff after the woman went missing
Maria Luciano Hernandez, who was on the ship, said on Facebook yesterday morning that passengers had been informed by the captain that coast guards were looking for the passenger
She added yesterday afternoon that the search for the woman by coastguard had been ‘discontinued’ after ‘many hours’
She said all passengers had been accounted for when the ship left Ireland.
‘Rough seas! Woman missing (overboard?)! Captain Mercer turned Amsterdam around to look for her because no response after Captain’s call,’ she said.
‘Yesterday was our last port of call. All accounted for last night. Pray we find her aboard ship asleep somewhere!’
She added yesterday afternoon that the search for the woman by coastguard had been ‘discontinued’ after ‘many hours’.
‘Captain Mercer just informed us that the search for our missing passenger, jointly conducted with the assistance of emergency marine operations from various countries has been discontinued after many hours,’ she wrote.
‘It is unlikely that given the weather conditions of rough seas and chilly waters the passenger would have survived after so many hours of search. Requiem in pace,’ she added.