ENSENADA, BAJA CALIFORNIA.- A woman fell off a Carnival Cruise Line ship balcony and into the Pacific Ocean early Saturday, spurring an international search effort.
The incident, which happened shortly after 3 a.m. aboard a Carnival Miracle ship near Ensenada, Mexico, was captured on security video, the U.S. Coast Guard said. Passengers were notified shortly after, said Josh Zufelt, a passenger.
The ship came to a near-complete stop around 3:30 a.m. as crew members dropped a lifeboat into the water, Zufelt said.
Coast Guard crews are working with members of the Mexican navy to find the woman, who appeared to be in her 20s.
Carnival Cruise Line said the ship was released after having assisted with the search and continued on to Ensenada, about a 90-minute drive from the U.S. border.
“Our thoughts are with the guest and her family, and our Care Team is providing support,” Carnival said in a statement.
The ship was to return to Long Beach as scheduled Sunday morning, the cruise line said.
According to the company’s website, the Carnival Miracle accommodates more than 2,100 guests and 934 crew members. It sails from Long Beach, San Diego and San Francisco to Alaska, Hawaii and Mexico. Trips are two to more than 10 days.
Source: La Cronica
