Cruise Passenger Missing After Falling Overboard During Trip from Australia to Hawaii
The U.S. Coast Guard is conducting a search 500 miles off the coast of Hawaii for an Australian man who fell overboard on a cruise this week
A search is underway for a passenger who fell overboard from a Royal Caribbean cruise ship this week.
The U.S. Coast Guard in Honolulu, Hawaii, was alerted by a Quantum of the Seas vessel that an Australian man had fallen off the ship around 11 p.m. local time on Tuesday, according to a news release. The ship departed from Australia over two weeks ago, and is expected to reach its destination, Honolulu, on Friday.
The ship's crew searched for approximately two hours on Tuesday night and deployed six life rings, but the passenger was not located, per the release.
A day later, Coast Guard crews began their search, with an aircrew searching the area — which is roughly 500 miles south of Kailua-Kona, Hawaii — for six hours, to no avail.
According to the release, the crew resumed their search at "first light" on Thursday morning.
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Australian news outlet Nine News reported that an announcement was made on the ship requesting that all passengers return to their rooms and account for all members of their party.
Witnesses reportedly saw the Australian man fall from the top deck, 15 floors up.
Georgina Thompson, a passenger on the cruise, told the outlet that there is a "somber" mood on board the ship as it continues on its way to Honolulu, while fellow passenger Susan Whittington added, "It's a shocking situation to be in."
She also said that there was "quite a large swell" over the course of the night following the Australian man's fall, which she said made it "almost impossible" to search the water.
A spokesperson for the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs told Nine News it's ready to assist the man's family as needed. "The Australian Consulate-General in Honolulu is working closely with local authorities," the spokesperson said.
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In a statement shared with the outlet, Royal Caribbean confirmed the reports. "While on its trans-pacific sailing, a guest onboard Quantum of the Seas went overboard," the statement said. "The ship's crew immediately launched a search and rescue operation and is working closely with local authorities.
Royal Caribbean did not immediately respond to PEOPLE's request for comment.
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