Reports: 72-Year-Old American Man Falls Overboard from Cruise Ship Just Before Arriving in San Francisco
- Travel
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- UPDATED DECEMBER 27, 2024
by Tasha Mayberry
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The passenger remained missing after The Ruby Princess docked in California on Monday, Dec. 2
A 72-year-old American man is reported to have fallen overboard from the Ruby Princess cruise ship just before its arrival in San Francisco.
The incident occurred at approximately 6:50 a.m. on Monday, December 2, as the ship was returning from a 5-day round trip to Ensenada, Mexico, according to a statement from Princess Cruises shared with PEOPLE.
“Princess Cruises is saddened to report that a 72-year-old American male is believed to have gone overboard on Monday, ahead of the Ruby Princess’s arrival in San Francisco,” the cruise line said in its statement.
The cruise line also confirmed that they had been working “throughout the day with local authorities” in an effort to locate the missing passenger.
“CCTV footage has been extensively reviewed, and the ship was searched thoroughly several times without success,” Princess Cruises stated.
“After ruling out other possibilities, this is being treated as a man overboard incident,” the company concluded.
Princess Cruises confirmed that the man was traveling alone. His identity has not been released, and the company extended its “heartfelt condolences to the family and friends.”
According to multiple outlets, U.S. Customs and Border Protection has now taken over the investigation.
According to ABC News, passengers remaining on the Ruby Princess disembarked on Monday, December 1, before the ship departed that evening for a 16-day voyage to the Hawaiian Islands, as confirmed by Princess Cruises to PEOPLE.
The outlet also shared details of the search effort from U.S. Coast Guard spokesperson Loumania Stewart. “The first aircrew was dispatched from Sacramento aboard a C-27 aircraft at about 3 p.m. to search an area about 45 miles off the coast of Monterey,” Stewart said.
She added, “Another Coast Guard crew was sent from San Francisco aboard a helicopter at about 4 p.m.”
The U.S. Coast Guard has not yet responded to PEOPLE’s request for additional information.