A passenger aboard the Carnival Magic cruise ship went missing after falling overboard during a birthday cruise with his fiancée.
The passenger, 35-year-old Ronnie Lee Peale Jr. from Virginia, was on the cruise with his fiancée to celebrate her birthday. Late Monday, the U.S. Coast Guard was alerted of his disappearance.
Surveillance footage from the ship, captured at approximately 4:10 am, corroborates the report, showing Peale leaning over his stateroom’s balcony railing before plummeting into the sea.
The incident took place roughly 185 miles east of Jacksonville, Florida, early Monday, May 29, as confirmed by the Coast Guard. In response to the report, the Coast Guard initiated an extensive search operation involving aircraft and vessels, which was eventually discontinued without locating Peale.
Jennilyn Michelle Blosser, Peale’s fiancée, confirmed to media outlets that the missing passenger was indeed Peale. After the cessation of the search operation, she established a GoFundMe campaign to cover potential funeral costs.
The GoFundMe campaign’s description indicates the couple embarked on the cruise on Thursday, May 25, intending to sail from Norfolk, Virginia, to the Bahamas and back. This cruise, a birthday gift for Blosser, was Peale’s first cruise voyage, an experience he was said to be thoroughly enjoying. Blosser recounted that his outgoing personality had enabled him to make many friends during the trip.