Thomas Gigler, a 56-year-old Southern California father of three, disappeared during a family cruise tied to his wedding anniversary.
ALAMEDA, Calif. — The U.S. Coast Guard suspended its search for Thomas Gigler after more than 41 hours of operations failed to locate the 56-year-old Carnival Panorama passenger who went overboard while the cruise ship was sailing off the coast of Mexico.
Search crews covered more than 1,707 square miles of the Pacific Ocean before the operation was suspended Tuesday pending new information. Coast Guard aircraft, a Mexican naval vessel and six other vessels participated in the effort. Officials reported no sightings of Gigler, a Redlands, California, resident and father of three. The Coast Guard said the circumstances surrounding his disappearance remain under investigation.
The Coast Guard’s Rescue Coordination Center in Alameda received the initial missing-person report at about 1:30 p.m. Saturday from Sector Los Angeles-Long Beach. The cruise ship told authorities that Gigler had last been seen at approximately 11:30 p.m. Friday. The Coast Guard then took responsibility for coordinating the offshore search and deployed multiple fixed-wing aircraft.
The Carnival Panorama was approximately 57 miles off the Mexican coast when the passenger was reported overboard, according to the Coast Guard. The agency coordinated with Mexico’s Maritime Rescue Coordination Center and used the Automated Mutual-Assistance Vessel Rescue system to locate commercial vessels capable of joining the search. A Mexican naval vessel and six other vessels assisted from the surface while Coast Guard aircraft searched from above.
Carnival Cruise Line said the ship was traveling from Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, toward Long Beach, California, when Gigler went overboard. The company said crew members began search and investigation procedures after learning that a passenger was missing. Those measures included reviewing closed-circuit camera footage and notifying maritime authorities in the United States and Mexico.
The Los Angeles Times reported that passengers were told over the ship’s public-address system that a review of its man-overboard cameras confirmed the missing guest had gone overboard. Carnival said it was providing support to the family members who were traveling with him. The company did not publicly provide an explanation for why Gigler went overboard, and investigators have not announced a confirmed reason.
Passengers described being told to return to their staterooms while crew members searched the vessel and conducted an accountability check. Michael Bedwell, who was aboard the ship, told ABC7 that passengers initially knew only that staff were searching for someone. The crew later informed passengers that the missing person had gone overboard. Other passengers said the ship changed course during the response before eventually resuming its trip to Southern California.
Gigler was traveling with his family on a seven-night Mexican Riviera cruise that departed Long Beach on Sept. 13. The voyage included stops in Mexico before the ship began its return trip. Published reports said the vacation coincided with Gigler and his wife’s 15th wedding anniversary. The Independent reported that Gigler lived in Redlands with his wife and their three sons and had worked for geographic information systems company Esri for many years.
His family has publicly said it does not know what led to the incident. Gigler’s sister, Wendy Dowden, told The Independent that relatives were struggling to understand what happened. Investigators have not established a motive or released information showing what may have occurred in the hours before he went overboard. Reports offering theories about his state of mind or personal circumstances have not been confirmed by the Coast Guard.
Passengers also created a small memorial aboard the Carnival Panorama with messages and other tributes for Gigler and his family. The vessel completed its voyage and returned to Long Beach after authorities assumed responsibility for the offshore search. Carnival has said its staff continued supporting Gigler’s relatives following the disappearance.
Capt. Jessica Davila, chief of incident management for the Coast Guard Southwest District, said decisions to suspend searches are made after officials consider all available information. Although active search operations have ended, the suspension is pending new information, and the Coast Guard said the incident remains under investigation. Gigler remained missing as of Thursday.
Author note: Last updated September 24, 2026.