The search extended more than 200 miles in the gulf, Gross said, adding the water temperature there Thursday night was just above 70 degrees - and somewhat colder in the Mississippi River. That included a small boat from Venice, Florida, a helicopter based in New Orleans and airplanes from Clearwater, Florida, and Mobile, Alabama, he said. Seth Gross, a search and rescue coordinator for the USCG told CNN on Friday morning. Soon, a multi-crew search for the man - by air and by sea - was underway, he said.Īn alert went out to all mariners in the gulf, and the Coast Guard 'launched all available resources,' Lt. Then around 2:30 p.m., the Coast Guard got a call from the ship, Coast Guard Lt. 'Carnival Valor retraced its route to support the search and rescue,' Lupoli explained. The ship, Anderson said, then turned around. His wife, Whitney Gaines, said one of the ship's pools was drained, but the couple said still no official announcement went out about what had happened. Passengers were told the arrival time to their port of call in Cozumel, Mexico, would be delayed, Anderson said. Officials haven't identified either one.Īnnouncements echoed through the ship for the missing passenger to check in with guest services, passenger Mike Anderson told CNN on Thursday, and people 'noticed security starting to search the boat with a photo of the missing (passenger) in their phones.'Īt around 2 p.m., a final check-in request was issued, he said. when her brother walked off, the sister recalled, Carnival spokesperson Matt Lupoli told CNN on Thursday in a statement.Īt noon the next day - Thanksgiving Day - she reported him missing, the statement said. What happened next has astonished at least one seasoned mariner who, with hours of hindsight, declared the stunning outcome unlike anything he's ever witnessed - and nothing short of 'one of those Thanksgiving miracles.'

The 28-year-old had, quite simply, vanished. Predictably, the man at one point stepped away to use the restroom.

In the first hours after the Carnival Valor set sail from New Orleans on Thanksgiving eve, a brother and sister set off for a place apropos of a holiday mood: They headed to an onboard bar.

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