A passenger fell overboard from the CARNIVAL MAGIC and was reported missing on May 29th. Unfortunately, the search, which spanned 60 hours and covered 5,171 square miles, was unsuccessful.
The man has been identified as Ronnie Lee Peale Jr. He was reported missing in the late afternoon of May 29th after security camera footage revealed that the 35-year-old had leaned from his balcony and fallen into the water around 4:10 a.m. on Monday morning.
In response to the incident, the US Coast Guard immediately deployed both air and water assets to the search area, located approximately 300 kilometers east of Jacksonville, Florida. Search efforts, involving both water and air assets, persisted from Monday night through Tuesday and most of Wednesday. Despite covering more than 5,000 miles during this time, no trace of the missing individual was found.
It remains unknown why the man’s wife or longtime fiancée did not report him missing immediately. The Carnival Magic was on its final day at sea before returning to its homeport in Norfolk, Virginia. As the man was not reported missing until late in the day, the CARNIVAL MAGIC was permitted to resume its normal course, having already passed well beyond the applicable search zone.
The man, who was reportedly on a cruise for the first time, got on with his wife, Jennilyn Michelle Blosser, to celebrate her birthday.
Due to the lack of clarity surrounding the circumstances of the man falling overboard, the FBI has initiated an investigation into the matter.
The opinions expressed herein are the author’s and not necessarily those of News2Sea.
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