A man fell off a cruise ship near Florida’s Key Largo on Friday and, by Sunday, the U.S. Coast Guard announced it was suspending its search.
The 46-year-old Texas man, David Mossman, fell about 100 feet from the 10th deck of Royal Caribbean's
Navigator of the Seas, The Associated Press reported.
The search, which comprised a helicopter and airplane, covered 2,583 square nautical miles.
“We want to extend our condolences to the family and friends of Mr. Mossman as the decision to suspend a search is never an easy one to make and is done with great care and deliberation,” said Chris Eddy, search-and-rescue technical specialist at the
Coast Guard 7th District, according to CBS Miami. “Unfortunately, despite our best efforts and an exhaustive search, our crews were unable to locate him.”
The Coast Guard received a report that the man had gone overboard at about 3 a.m. Saturday.
A passenger reported seeing a man go overboard from his stateroom balcony at about
10:55 p.m. Friday, NBC News reported.
The fall likely would have
stunned or killed Mossman, USA Today reported. Chances of surviving more than a few hours in the cold water are slim.
A passenger posted about the incident on Facebook.
Mossman had reportedly gotten in an argument with his mother
before the incident, according to the New York Daily News.
“There’s railings. There’s no way you could fall accidentally,” passenger Vince Caputo told the newspaper. “In my view it's physically impossible to lean on those railings and just fall.”
The ship’s capacity is 3,800 passengers and more than 1,200 crew members.