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The US Coast Guard suspended their search for Jaylen Hill, a missing Carnival cruise passenger who reportedly jumped off the side of the ship as it was heading toward its final stop in Florida. Hill, a 30-year-old passenger on the ship, was reportedly captured on surveillance footage leaping off the railing of the Carnival Elation on Sunday, July 23, off the coast of Melbourne.
Authorities discovered that Hill had jumped off the railing after a companion alerted the staff that the 30-year-old was missing from the cruise ship.
Shortly after, as per the New York Post, rescue crews dispatched the 87-foot cutter Tarpon from St. Petersburg, a Hercules aircraft based out of Clearwater, and a Miami-based Ocean Sentry aircraft in search of the missing passenger.
However, the search for Jaylen Hill was reportedly called off on Monday, July 24, after authorities covered more than 1,347 square miles and scoured the area for 60 hours.
US Coast Guard extends condolence to the family of missing cruise ship passenger Jaylen Hill
On Monday, July 24, The US Coast Guard announced that they are calling off their search for the missing Carnival cruise passenger Jaylen Hill, who reportedly leaped off the railing of the Carnival Elation on July 23, off the coast of Melbourne, Florida.
In a statement to the New York Post, the Carnival cruise company confirmed that Jaylen Hill jumped off the railing on Sunday and said:
“Sadly, after an exhaustive on-board search and a review of security camera video, it was determined that he jumped.”
Petty Officer Eric Rodriguez extended his condolences to the family in a statement and announced that the search for the missing passenger was unsuccessful and had been suspended.
“We offer our deepest condolences to the Hill family. Our crews take our life-saving mission very seriously. Any time we can’t bring a loved one home to their family is a pain we all feel,” Rodriguez said.
A similar incident took place in May 2023
In a similar incident on May 29, 2023, a Virginia man named Ronnie Peale Jr. went overboard from a Carnival cruise ship. Ronnie was reportedly on the ship with his partner Jennylyn Michelle Blosser to celebrate her birthday when he accidentally went overboard while leaning on the balcony.
At the time, a spokesperson from Carnival Cruise Line acknowledged the incident and said:
“He was reported missing by his companion late Monday afternoon and an initial review of closed circuit security footage confirms that he leaned over the railing of his stateroom balcony and dropped into the water at approximately 4:10 am early Monday morning."
The US Coast Guard, who failed to recover his remains, suspended the search on May 30.
