A 30-year-old passenger vanished after reportedly jumping off a Carnival Cruise ship while on the way to Florida. The incident took place approximately 95 miles off the coast of Melbourne, Florida, leaving both authorities and the cruise line perplexed.
The relatives of Jaylen Hill alerted the ship’s staff when he failed to appear all day Sunday, July 23. Upon receiving this information, the security team checked the ship’s video surveillance to track his movements, uncovering footage of Hill leaping from the side of the ship.
The review of the surveillance footage and a thorough onboard search confirmed Hill’s departure from the vessel. The ship’s operator immediately reported the incident to the authorities, who instructed them to proceed to their final destination in Jacksonville.
The incident overshadowed the conclusion of the voyage as the Carnival Elation, which had been on a four-day Bahamas trip, docked in Jacksonville the morning of Monday, July 24.
The Coast Guard initiated an extensive search operation to locate the missing passenger. The operation utilized the 87-foot cutter Tarpon from St. Petersburg, a Hercules aircraft from Clearwater, and an Ocean Sentry aircraft from Miami. Despite these efforts, the search was called off on Monday evening as prospects of finding Hill and discerning the incident’s details dwindled.