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Search for missing passenger in Gulf of Mexico is suspended

A search for a missing cruise ship passenger in the Gulf of Mexico has been suspended.

Surveillance video indicates the woman fell overboard from the 10th deck in the early hours of Friday morning.

The footage suggests she was sitting on a deck railing and fell backwards into the water, Carnival Cruise Line said.

Samantha Broberg’s travel companions reported her missing from the ship Carnival Liberty.

The vessel left Galveston in Texas on a four-day cruise to Mexico on Thursday.

Aircraft spent 20 hours searching for Broberg in an area of more than 4,300 square miles before suspending search efforts on Sunday night.

US Coast Guard petty officer Andy Kendrick told CNN that the search area’s distance from shore was complicating search efforts.

“The search area is so offshore, almost 200 miles southeast of Galveston, so it’s way out there and very difficult to get to and get any resources out to it,” he said.

Neither the US Department of Transportation nor the US Coast Guard specifically track incidents of passengers going overboard from cruise ships.

Carnival Cruise Line said: “Unfortunately, it appears the guest may have gone overboard.

“Authorities were notified including the US Coast Guard which has been conducting search and rescue efforts in the area the ship was located when the individual was last seen.

“Carnival’s care team is providing support to the guest’s travelling companions and family. We are keeping our guest and her loved ones in our thoughts during this difficult time.”

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