The US Coast Guard suspended the search for the Holland America Line crew member who deliberately went overboard from the cruise ship on Friday evening while sailing the Florida Straits.
The Rotterdam had just completed a six-night Western Caribbean cruise, visiting Belize, Costa Maya, and Cozumel, when it was discovered that a crew member was missing once docked in Port Everglades.
Holland America reviewed security camera footage and determined that the staffer purposefully went overboard on the last night of the cruise around 9:45 p.m. Friday.
The ship was near the Florida Keys when the man went overboard, and the U.S. Coast Guard concentrated its search efforts in an area about 20 miles south of Marathon.
The search involved USCG Cutter Charles David Jr. and crews from Air Station Miami HC-144. However, despite searching for over 24 hours across 538 square nautical miles, the Coast Guard called off the search on Sunday evening.
| “All of us at Holland America Line are deeply saddened by this incident and our thoughts are with the team member’s family at this difficult time,” HAL said in a statement. “A team member was reported missing after the ship docked. A review of closed-circuit TV footage indicates the person went purposefully overboard.” The cruise line hasn’t yet disclosed the identity of the crew member. |
The cruise line has not disclosed the identity of the crew member.
Following the incident, the cruise ship resumed its scheduled transatlantic voyage. It is currently on a repositioning cruise across the Atlantic, heading to Rotterdam, Netherlands, where it will be based throughout the summer.
According to data from Professor Ross Klien, PhD, Memorial University of Newfoundland, this was the sixth man overboard in 2024. Last year, the maritime industry collectively saw 24 incidents.
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