Story highlights
U.S. Coast Guard: Suspending search is never easy
Woman reported overboard about 700 miles northeast of Hawaii
Cruise line says she intentionally went over
The U.S. Coast Guard on Friday suspended the search for an American cruise ship passenger reported overboard in the Pacific Ocean northeast of Hawaii.
The 54-year-old woman was witnessed intentionally going overboard Wednesday from the Grand Princess, Princess Cruises said, adding that the witness’ account was confirmed by closed-circuit television.
Two Coast Guard HC-130 Hercules airplane crews, along with a Navy P-3 Orion airplane crew and a commercial tug and barge, scoured 10,000 square miles for more than 20 hours.
“Suspending a search is never an easy decision to make,” said Lt. Cmdr. Peter Zauner, command duty officer of the Coast Guard Joint Rescue Coordination Center, in a press release. “It’s done with much deliberation and after a concerted effort to ensure that the Coast Guard has adequately searched all probable locations for survivors.”
The Grand Princess was on day three of a 15-day cruise round-trip sail from San Francisco to Hawaii. The incident occurred about 700 miles northeast of Hawaii.