Search halted for cruise passenger who fell off ship in Caribbean

A 51-year-old man went overboard on a Norwegian Cruise ship in the Caribbean, with hopes of finding him abandoned after an “extensive” search, the cruise line said.The unidentified passenger fell from the Norwegian Epic around 3 p.m.Thursday while the ship sailed from Ocho Rios, Jamaica, to Great Stirrup Cay in the Bahamas.“The authorities were immediately notified, and a search and rescue operation under the guidance and oversight of the Bahamas Rescue Coordination Center went underway,” a Norwegian Cruise Line spokesperson told The Post.After an “extensive” but ultimately unsuccessful search, which involved the help of another nearby cruise ship, the Norwegian Epic “was released by the authorities to continue its voyage,” the cruise line said.It was not immediately clear how the passenger went overboard.

He was traveling with a large group that included his family, who are being “attended to and supported during this very challenging situation,” the cruise line said.“Our thoughts and prayers are with his loved ones during this difficult time,” the spokesperson said.Immediately after the passenger went overboard, the ship dropped a flare in the ocean to mark its location where the man fell and circled the area repeatedly, according to Cruise Hive. Holland America Line’s ship Zuiderdam, which was sailing nearby, joined in the search.Video from a Norwegian Epic passenger posted on social media shows passengers on their balconies scouring the sea for any sign of the man.Norwegian Epic is currently on a seven-night Caribbean voyage after departing from Canaveral, Florida, on Saturday....