The United States Coast Guard is searching for a 35-year-old man who jumped from a Royal Caribbean cruise ship early Friday.
A Coast Guard official said the man, a passenger from Brazil, leaped from the seventh deck of the "Oasis of the Seas" ship around 1 a.m. ET Friday, about 17 miles east of Turks and Caicos. The man “made contact” with a life raft on a lower deck before landing in the water, the official said.
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Crew members observed the man “intentionally going over the side of the ship,” Royal Caribbean said in a statement.
A pair of response boats were dispatched from the ship and conducted searches overnight, according to the Coast Guard.
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In a tweet, the Coast Guard said they are searching for the man roughly 80 nautical miles north of port city of Managuan in the Bahamas.
The Coast Guard said it would deploy a C-130 transport aircraft out of Clearwater, Florida, and a MH-60 helicopter from the Bahamas to continue the search at first daylight.
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The Oasis of the Seas is currently on a week-long cruise in the eastern Caribbean, the Sun-Sentinel reported.
“Our Care Team is providing support to the guest’s family and our thoughts and prayers are with them during this difficult time,” the statement said.
This is a developing story and will be updated as new information becomes available.
Photo Credit: Getty Images
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