Coast Guard search and rescue crews are searching for a missing passenger from the Holland America Line cruise ship Eurodam, who reportedly disappeared early Thursday morning while the vessel was transiting from St. Thomas to the Bahamas, approximately 80 nautical miles northwest of Puerto Rico.
Coast Guard Watchstanders in Sector San Juan received notification from the cruise line at 5 a.m. Thursday notifying that a 42-year-old man and Washington resident had possibly gone overboard. The cruise line reported the wife of the missing passenger alerted the crew of the Eurodam of her husband’s disappearance.
The Coast Guard received notification from the Eurodam after an initial preliminary search of the ship located a baseball cap on the ship’s deck that was confirmed by the wife of the missing passenger as belonging to him.
Upon receiving notification, Sector San Juan Watchstanders directed the launch of an Air Station Borinquen MH-65 Dolphin crew and diverted the Coast Guard Cutters Nantucket and Decisive to search for the missing passenger.
Cruise vessels like the Eurodam owe a duty to their passengers to exercise reasonable care. If a passenger falls overboard due to vessel negligence, the passenger and their family have a claim against the vessel owner for the injuries suffered.