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A Carnival cruise passenger was pulled from the Gulf of Mexico alive after a search operation by the US coastguard. Photo: TNS

US coastguard rescues Carnival Valor cruise ship passenger who fell overboard and survived 15 hours at sea

  • The 28-year-old man, last seen aboard the vessel’s bar, was reported missing by his sister after he did not return to his stateroom
  • The guest was spotted in the Gulf of Mexico, and a helicopter hoisted him out of the water alive following a search operation

The US coastguard said a passenger who went overboard from a cruise ship in the Gulf of Mexico was rescued on Thanksgiving after likely being in the water for hours.

The 28-year-old man was reported missing at noon on Thursday while the vessel, the Carnival Valor, was heading to Cozumel, Mexico. According to Carnival Cruise Line, the man was with his sister at a bar on Carnival Valor on Wednesday at 11pm (local time) and went to use the restroom. His sister reported him missing the next day after the man did not return to his stateroom.

The coastguard launched search and rescue crews on Thursday afternoon and alerted nearby ships to be watchful.

Coastguard Lt. Seth Gross said a cargo ship later saw a person in the water about 32km (20 miles) south of Southwest Pass, Louisiana, and the mouth of the Mississippi River.

Gross said the man confirmed he was the missing cruise ship passenger after he was hoisted into a helicopter about 8.25pm on Thursday.

“He appeared to be suffering from mild hypothermia, shock, dehydration, but his condition overall appeared stable,” Gross told WWL-TV, adding the man was taken for medical care.

Gross called the rescue “a miracle especially on a holiday like Thanksgiving.”

Officials believe the man spent at least 15 hours in the water, where the overnight temperature was about 70 degrees, the coastguard said.

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A Carnival spokesperson said the ship retraced its route in a bid to find the missing guest.

In a statement, Carnival said: “We greatly appreciate the efforts of all, most especially the US coastguard and the mariner who spotted the guest in the water.”

The man’s name has not been released.

The Carnival Valor has since been released by the coastguard and was again sailing toward its destination of Cozumel. It left New Orleans on Wednesday.

Additional reporting by Tribune News Service

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