American Officials said the US Coast Guard have ceased searching for a passenger who reportedly went missing from a cruise ship en route to Hawaii from Brisbane.
On Tuesday night, the Australian person was reported to have disappeared from the Quantum of the Seas cruise ship, about 500 miles (805 kilometres) south of Kailua Kona, Big Island.
The ship after missing reports, remained on the scene for two hours however, it later started its journey to Hawaii after discovering no clues, the US Coast Guard said in a statement.
On Wednesday, an air search with the Coast Guard Air Station Barbers Point C-130 Hercules aircrew launched at 7 am and arrived on the scene at 9 am local time, searching about 500 miles south of Kailua-Kona, Big Island.
The search was conducted for over six hours by a Coast Guard C-130 Hercules aircrew, but after consultations with the man’s family, the aerial survey was suspended.
Kevin Cooper, a search and rescue mission coordinator for the Joint Rescue Coordination Center Honolulu said: “After reviewing all relevant information of the case and discussing it with the next of kin, the Coast Guard has made the difficult decision to suspend the active search for the passenger aboard the Quantum of the Seas.”
The owner of the ship, Royal Caribbean also confirmed in a statement of a passenger missing.
“While on its trans-pacific sailing, a guest onboard Quantum of the Seas went overboard,” the company said in a statement, reported by CNN citing Nine News.
The statement added: “The ship’s crew immediately launched a search and rescue operation and is working closely with local authorities.”
The cruise ship has 16 decks and fits 4,905 guests and 1,500 crew members, said its website.
Quantum of the Seas departed Brisbane, Australia, on April 12 and was scheduled to arrive in Honolulu Friday.
