The U.S. Coast Guard has halted its search for a 30-year-old man who was seen jumping off a Carnival Cruise ship near the Florida coast. The man, identified as Jaylen Hill, was captured on video leaping from the Carnival Elation on Sunday as the ship was en route to its final destination in Jacksonville.
The Coast Guard deployed an 87-foot cutter named Tarpon from St. Petersburg, a Hercules aircraft from Clearwater, and an Ocean Sentry aircraft from Miami in the search for Hill. Despite their efforts, which covered an area of more than 1,347 square miles—approximately the size of Long Island—no trace of Hill was found. The search was officially suspended on Monday evening, pending any new developments.
Petty Officer Eric Rodriguez expressed the Coast Guard’s sympathy for Hill’s family in a statement. “Our crews take our life-saving mission very seriously. Any time we can’t bring a loved one home to their family is a pain we all feel,” he said.
Hill was traveling with a companion on the cruise when he jumped overboard. After Hill’s companion alerted the cruise staff of his disappearance, a review of the ship’s security footage confirmed that he had jumped.
The Carnival Elation had just completed a four-day journey to the Bahamas and was returning to Jacksonville on Monday morning when the incident occurred.