A story worthy of a Hollywood film took place on a cruise in the Gulf of Mexico.
As the Carnival Whaler left New Orleans early Wednesday morning, a brother and sister went to a bar on board.
According to a Carnival spokesperson’s statement to CNN, around 11 p.m., the 28-year-old got up to go to the bathroom.
He never came back.
The sister reported her brother missing around noon the day after Thanksgiving, CNN reported.
A call was made over the cruise ship’s loudspeakers asking the missing passenger to report to customer service, passenger Mike Anderson told CNN.
Screenshot/CNN
The cruise lines “observed security guards searching the boat with a photo of the missing passenger on their phone.”
At around 2pm, a final call was made to ask the passenger to report to customer service.
Passengers were notified of delays arriving at the port of Cozumel, Mexico.
According to Mike Anderson, the cruise ship has returned.
“The Carnival Whaler has returned to assist with search and rescue operations,” a company spokesperson confirmed to CNN.
Around 2:30 p.m., the Coast Guard received a call about a missing passenger from the ship.
A search operation by water and air then began.
A warning was issued to all sailors in the Gulf of Mexico.
The search has extended to more than 200 miles (320 km), US Coast Guard search and rescue coordinator Lt. Seth Cross told CNN.
The water temperature on Thursday was around 21 degrees Celsius, according to Lt.
Then, a miracle happened: the 28-year-old man was found by the crew of the bulk carrier at 8:25 p.m., about 32 km south of Southwest Pass, one of the channels at the mouth of the Mississippi River. Louisiana.
The survivor did not provide details about the reasons for his fall and the exact moment he fell.
Rescuers estimate he may have spent more than 15 hours in the water.
“The fact that he was able to stay above the water for that long is something you can’t take for granted, and I’m definitely going to be worried. I’ll remember that for the rest of my life,” Lt. Cross said. CNN.
