SAN FRANCISCO (Diya TV) — A search is underway for a 32-year-old cruise ship passenger who was reportedly seen going overboard early Wednesday morning, search officials said.
Rina Patel, an Indian-American woman from Interlaken, New York, was standing on Carnival Ecstasy’s 11th deck in a white dress with pink floral print around 2:30 a.m. when the incident took place, the Coast Guard said in a statement. The cruise company added that she was seen, “jumping overboard.”
“Man overboard procedures were initiated immediately along with notification to the U.S. Coast Guard,” a statement said. “The company’s CareTeam is providing assistance and support to the missing guest’s family and our thoughts and prayers are with her and her family and loved ones during this difficult time.”
The ship was traveling southwest of Freeport, Bahamas, when she went overboard. Some passengers said they were awakened to a ship-wide alertannouncing the emergency. “It was one of those surreal things where it came on and they said it and you had to stop and think, ‘Did they just say man overboard?’ And then they repeated it four more times,” passenger Shannon Parks told CNN.
@FoxNews coast guard looking for girl overboard on carnival ecstasy as of 2:44am pic.twitter.com/ROISgnUB3h
— Shannon Parks (@camconmom) September 7, 2016