The Coast Guard is suspending the search for Carnival cruise passenger Jaylen Hill who jumped ship near Florida

News

by Kenneth Garger

July 24, 2023 | 10:38 p.m

The Coast Guard announced that the search has been suspended Monday for a missing Carnival Cruise passenger who jumped from the ship near the Florida coast.

Jaylen Hill, 30, was caught on camera jumping off the side of the Carnival Elation on Sunday as it headed toward its final stop in Jacksonville.

The Coast Guard sent the 87-foot cutter Tarpon from St. Petersburg, a Hercules plane based out of Clearwater, and an Ocean Sentry plane based out of Miami to search for Hill.

Crews covered more than 1,347 miles while searching for the hill, but by Monday night, their efforts had yielded no results and the search was called off “pending any further development,” the Coast Guard said.

“We offer our deepest condolences to the Hill family,” Officer Eric Rodriguez said in a statement.

“Our crew takes our mission to save lives very seriously. Any time we are unable to bring a loved one back to their family is a pain that we all feel.”

The cruise line said Hill was on a cruise with a “travel buddy” when he jumped overboard.

After a mate alerts cruise staff that Hill is missing, workers reviewing security video determine that he jumped.

The Carnival Illusion has just concluded a four-day voyage to the Bahamas, ending in Jacksonville Monday morning.