Search Suspended for Man Who Went Overboard on Cruise Ship Headed to Hawaii: 'Our Family Is Heartbroken'
The Coast Guard says crews conducted five searches for the missing man in six hours on Wednesday, but were unable to locate him in the water
Authorities have officially suspended the search for an Australian man who went overboard while traveling on a Royal Caribbean cruise ship earlier this week.
The United States Coast Guard announced the suspension on Thursday, the day after a search was launched about 500 miles south of Hawaii's Big Island.
The man was on the Quantum of the Seas cruise ship when he reportedly went overboard just after 11 p.m. local time on Tuesday, according to a press release from the Coast Guard.
The victim has been identified as 35-year-old Warwick Tollemache, of Brisbane, according to The Guardian and The Sydney Morning Herald.
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"Our family is heartbroken at the loss of our beloved Warwick," Mandy Tollemache said in one social media post, per the reports.
Sarah Tollemache shared a similar message on the Ormiston College Alumni Facebook page, describing Warwick as "a kind, beautiful, and gentle soul who was adored by everyone who knew him."
"He will be deeply missed," Sarah said of the Ormiston College alum, who graduated in 2005.
Royal Caribbean did not immediately respond to PEOPLE's request for comment.
Australian news outlet Nine News reported that witnesses reportedly saw the Australian man fall from the top deck, 15 floors up.
An announcement was made on the ship requesting that all passengers return to their rooms and account for all members of their party, per the outlet.
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After he went overboard, the ship's crew deployed six life rings and searched for about two hours before continuing on to Hawaii, the Coast Guard said in a previous press release.
A Coast Guard air crew returned to the scene Wednesday morning and began searching around 9 a.m. local time, according to Thursday's press release.
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The crew conducted five searches in six hours, but still did not locate the missing man.
Warwick's girlfriend Celine La Roche told The Courier Mail that she was "devastated" to learn that the search had been suspended and that she won't have closure until he is found.
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