Search for British woman missing from Atlantic cruise suspended

The US Coast Guard (USCG) has announced that the search for a British woman believed to have fallen overboard from a cruise ship in the Atlantic Ocean has been called off. The 72-year-old passenger was last seen on Tui’s Marella Voyager on Monday when the ship was making its way across the Atlantic toward the Caribbean. Her absence was only noticed the following day when crew members found her bed untouched.

According to the USCG, the cruise ship was about 500 nautical miles away from the presumed location where the woman entered the water at the time they received the missing person report. Despite initiating an extensive multinational search and rescue operation, the investigation was abandoned on Wednesday due to factors including the low probability of survival. The woman had been last recorded on video entering a cabin door around midday on Monday, in a remote section of the North Atlantic, approximately 1,400 nautical miles from Bermuda.

In response to her disappearance, Tui stated that as soon as the staff discovered she was missing, they raised the alarm and conducted an onboard search. Reports from The Daily Mail revealed that passengers were abruptly asked to halt their activities—including dinners and entertainment—so the crew could perform an emergency roll call. Passengers lined up in groups of four while crew members scanned boarding cards to account for everyone on board.

The US Coast Guard confirmed receiving the missing person report at approximately 19:30 EST (00:30 GMT) on Tuesday. They also noted that Marella Voyager lacked sufficient fuel to return to the location where the woman was last believed to be, and were asked to continue their voyage instead of reversing course. The search operation involved collaboration with international partners, including the Maritime Rescue Coordination Center Delgada and the UK’s Joint Rescue Coordination Centre, as well as calls for assistance broadcast to nearby vessels. However, after considering the extensive search parameters, the passage of time, absence of available assets, adverse sea conditions, and low chance of survival, the search was halted by 15:50 EST (20:50 GMT) on Wednesday.

Marella Voyager, carrying around 2,000 passengers and 800 crew members, had departed Malaga on November 4 and was scheduled to reach Antigua on Friday before stops in Dominica and Barbados. A spokesperson for Marella Cruises expressed deep sorrow over the disappearance and emphasized their support for the authorities and the family during this difficult time. The UK Foreign Office also confirmed their ongoing support for the family and cooperation with relevant authorities.

Separately, there was another incident reported over the weekend in which a cruise ship pianist fell overboard near the Californian coast. The Royal Caribbean employee was discovered treading water about 20 miles off Catalina Island by two fishermen. Officials believe he may have been in the water for up to nine hours before being rescued, as reported by CBS News