NEW ORLEANS – The Coast Guard began searching this morning for a 77- year-old man reportedly missing from the Carnival Cruise Ship Fantasy.
At approximately 4 a.m., the cruise ship moored at its port and noted that one of the passengers was unaccounted for. The Hattiesburg, Miss., resident’s room, which included a private balcony, was locked from the inside and all of his belongings were left in his cabin.
A watchstander at the Coast Guard Sector New Orleans’ command center was notified by the cruise line of the missing passenger and noted that he was last seen Friday evening approximately 7 p.m.
Searching are:
- An HU-25 Guardian Falcon Jet and crew from Coast Guard Aviation Training Center in Mobile, Ala.
- A Coast Guard Auxiliary plane from New Orleans.
- A 33-foot small boatcrew from Coast Guard Station Venice, La.
- An HH-65C rescue helicopter and crew from Coast Guard Air Station New Orleans, La.
Search patterns are being conducted in the Mississippi River in New Orleans, south approximately 28-miles into the Gulf of Mexico.
