JACKSONVILLE, Fla — Editor's note: The picture used above is a file image.
Crews from the U.S. Coast Guard in Jacksonville say they are suspending the search for a man who is said to have jumped off a cruise ship over the weekend.
Reports came in at 12:45 a.m. on Saturday of a man in his 40s who jumped from the Carnival Cruise Line ship Mardi Gras just 63 miles east of Melbourne, coast guard leaders report. Authorities identified the man as 43-year-old Tang Tran.
According to the Coast Guard, crews searched roughly 2,078 square miles for 58 hours since the incident was reported.
“This evening I made the difficult decision to suspend the search for Mr. Tran,” said Capt. Mark Vlaun, Commander, Coast Guard Sector Jacksonville, in a news release.
“We are grateful to Carnival for the swift response and support to the family. Our deepest condolences go out to Mr. Tran’s family and friends during this difficult time.”
A spokesman for Carnival on Saturday said the Coast Guard released the ship from the search efforts and allowed it to continue its trip to Port Canaveral.
