SAN FRANCISCO – A passenger on the Ruby Princess is believed to have gone overboard ahead of the cruise ship’s arrival Monday in San Francisco, and the search for the man was suspended on Tuesday, according to officials.
In a statement, Princess Cruises said the 72-year-old man was not found following several searches of the vessel. Closed-circuit television footage was also reviewed.
“Having ruled out other possibilities, this is being treated as a man overboard,” the statement read. “We extend our heartfelt condolences to the family and friends of the guest who was traveling alone.”
The U.S. Coast Guard said Tuesday that it suspended its search for the man.
Princess Cruises did not immediately return a message seeking additional details about the incident, including where the passenger was believed to have gone overboard.
Around 3 p.m. Monday, the U.S. Coast Guard air station in Sacramento dispatched a C-27 aircrew to help scour the waters roughly 45 miles off of Monterey. The air station in San Francisco joined the search effort about an hour later.
The Ruby Princess arrived in San Francisco around 6:50 a.m. Monday following a five-day trip to Ensenada. It was set to depart at 5 p.m. for a 16-day voyage to the Hawaiian Islands.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection was investigating the disappearance.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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