A parent’s worst nightmare almost unfold on board carnival celebration Their teen was briefly missing on the night of December 22, 2024, but thankfully, the teen was found safe and sound.
Excel Class Cruises are currently running 7-night sailings Christmas themed Western Caribbean cruise The ship departed from Miami, Florida, on December 22, meaning the false alarm occurred on the first night of the voyage.
According to passengers, the announcement was made in the early morning hours of December 23, 2024, as crews searched for the missing teenager.
“A missing person advisory was issued early this morning (4 to 5 a.m.). We did not stop the boat and we did not slow down. Does anyone know if they found the person?” one current passenger asked on Reddit.
At this point, the approximately 1,735 crew members on board will begin developing emergency plans, including conducting a thorough search of the 183,521 gross ton vessel. Any public spaces or private cabins will be inspected.
at the same time, security team member Other members of the group who were traveling with the missing teens would have been interviewed to try to find clues about their whereabouts.
If the missing person is not found, the crew may Developed procedures for people falling into the water – including initiating search and rescue missions, checking security camera footage for accidental falls, and contacting relevant authorities.
Fortunately, it was a false alarm. While the unidentified teen may have caused great fear to their family and crew, they may have just fallen asleep in another cabin.
“My husband spoke to a security guard this morning. Said it was a 17-year-old boy who was asleep in another cabin. My guess is it was a group traveling together,” Shared by current guests.
“They announced this afternoon that he would be reunited with his family,” Another passenger confirmed.
Now that the crisis has been averted, the teen, their family and up to 5,374 other guests on the ship can get back to enjoying their cruise, which will include stops in Cozumel, Mexico; Costa Maya, Mexico; and Costa Maya, Mexico. Roatan, Honduras (Mahogany Bay).
Missing persons case on cruise ship
It’s hard to get lost on a cruise ship – especially considering the ship is surrounded by high seas and has nowhere to go.
Over the past two decades, it is estimated that only about 200 passengers (equivalent to about 10 per year) have actually disappeared from cruise ships. Considering that millions of people cruise every year, this number is quite low.
With the help of a skilled security team on board and security cameras covering nearly every inch of a modern cruise ship, any missing person is likely to be found quickly, unless they somehow end up without anyone or any sensors noticing. in water.
Also read: Are cruise ships safe? What you really need to know
Although legitimate missing persons cases on cruise ships are few and far between, that doesn’t mean they don’t happen.
Taking September 2023 as an example, Passengers reported missing from carnival conquest Unable to disembark on September 4, 2023 as planned.
The passenger, Kevin McGrath, went undetected by both the ship’s surveillance system and U.S. Customs and Border Patrol immigration inspections after a three-night cruise to Bimini, Bahamas. , and then the search process was launched.
More than a year later, it’s still unclear what happened to the 26-year-old. While some believe he may have jumped or fallen from the cruise ship, the overboard detection system was never activated.
That is to say, Missing persons case at cruise port – Guests become separated from loved ones or accidentally miss their ship – more common than missing from the cruise ship itself (but still rare).
