A missing 72-year-old man is suspected of falling overboard from a cruise ship near San Francisco in the early hours of Monday, the cruise line and local authorities said.
The cause of the incident was not immediately clear, but a Princess Cruises spokesperson said a team had reviewed video footage from the ship and said “multiple thorough searches were unsuccessful.” , said they had ruled out other possibilities as to the man’s whereabouts.
Princess Cruises spokeswoman Briana Rutter said the man, who was not immediately identified, was alone on board the Ruby Princess, which left San Francisco on Nov. 27 for a five-day trip. It is said that he was doing so. The ship was scheduled to return to San Francisco just before 7 a.m. Monday after visiting San Diego and Ensenada, Mexico.
Rutter said in a statement that the man appears to have fallen overboard early Monday morning before the ship entered port.
“We extend our deepest condolences to the family and friends of our guest,” Rutter said.
The U.S. Coast Guard was called to assist in the investigation Monday afternoon and sent two aircraft to search an area about 45 miles off the coast of Monterey, said Petty Officer Hunter Schnabel. He said the search was called off on Monday night without success.
Schnabel said the California Highway Patrol is assisting with the investigation into the cruise line, but CHP officials did not immediately respond to questions from the Times.
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