A 72-year-old American individual was reported to have fallen overboard from a cruise ship just before its arrival in San Francisco. This incident took place around 6:50 a.m. on Monday, December 1st, on The Ruby Princess during its 5-day round trip to Ensenada, Mexico. According to CBS News, citing Princess Cruises, the cruise line released a statement expressing their sadness over the situation.

Heartfelt Condolences and Ongoing Investigation

Princess Cruises confirmed to ABC News that the man was traveling alone and was feared dead. Their statement extended heartfelt condolences to the family and friends. U.S. Customs and Border Protection has taken over the investigation, as reported by multiple outlets. The remaining passengers on the Ruby Princess ship disembarked on Monday, December 1st, as per ABC News. The ship, which was scheduled to depart that evening on a 16-day voyage to the Hawaiian Islands, had its trip postponed.

Details of the Search

U.S. Coast Guard spokesperson Loumania Stewart provided details of the search. The first aircrew was dispatched from Sacramento aboard a C-27 aircraft at about 3 p.m. to search an area about 45 miles off the coast of Monterey. Another Coast Guard crew was sent from San Francisco aboard a helicopter at about 4 p.m. Princess Cruises and the U.S. Coast Guard did not immediately respond when contacted for further information.

Impact on the Cruise Ship

The Ruby Princess cruise ship had to deal with the aftermath of this tragic event. It had departed from San Francisco and was now facing the challenge of continuing its operations. The search efforts and the postponement of the voyage had an impact on both the passengers and the crew. The cruise line worked throughout the day with local authorities to try and locate the missing passenger. CCTV footage was extensively reviewed, and the ship was searched thoroughly several times without success. Having ruled out other possibilities, the incident was treated as a man overboard case.