A passenger on the Carnival Panorama cruise ship jumped overboard during the last full day of a week-long trip. The cruise had departed from Long Beach, California, on September 13, and was returning from Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. This event took place while the ship was nearing the end of its journey back to Long Beach.
“Carnival Cruise Line confirmed Saturday that a male guest aboard Carnival Panorama jumped overboard while the ship was sailing from Puerto Vallarta, Mexico to Long Beach, California,” a Carnival Cruise Line spokesperson told Fox News Digital.
The incident prompted an immediate response from the ship’s crew. Upon learning about the missing passenger, they initiated search and investigation procedures. This included reviewing CCTV footage and notifying both U.S. and Mexican Coast Guards. The cruise line is offering support to the family of the missing passenger.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with them and their loved ones,” said the spokesperson.
Reports from someone on board indicated that announcements about the missing guest began around 11 a.m. on Saturday. The last port stop was Puerto Vallarta, where the ship departed at 8 p.m. on Thursday. Over the next several hours, repeated calls about the missing guest were made. By about 3 p.m., the ship had turned around to aid in the search efforts.
By 3:30 p.m., a shipwide search was announced, and all guests were asked to return to their staterooms. Security personnel conducted checks by scanning identification cards. An hour later, another announcement confirmed that the search was still ongoing, and guests were instructed to remain in their rooms.
At around 5 p.m., the captain and cruise director confirmed the guest had gone overboard after checking the onboard camera footage. Local authorities were to continue the search, and guests were then allowed to leave their staterooms.
The missing passenger’s family and travel companions were informed about the situation. Support was offered from the care team on board.
By 7 p.m., an announcement was made that the ship expected to arrive in Long Beach by 9 a.m. the following morning.