A 77-year-old female passenger on a Holland America cruise ship went overboard Thursday, and rescuers have called off the search for her.
The woman fell off the boat in waters northeast of Cuba, the U.S. Coast Guard Southeast District said. The Coast Guard called off its search for the woman, conducted in concert with staff from the cruise ship Nieuw Statendam, after eight hours of searching that covered over 690 square miles.
The Nieuw Statendam was on its way to Key West, Florida, at the time of the incident, according to Cruise Mapper. The ship canceled its planned Friday visit in Key West, Holland America told ABC News, and the Nieuw Statendam is now due to return to Fort Lauderdale, Florida, on Saturday.
“We are deeply saddened to confirm that while sailing in waters north of Cuba, a guest on Nieuw Statendam went overboard … Our family assistance team is supporting the guest’s family, and our thoughts are with the guest’s loved ones during this difficult time,” Holland America said in a statement, according to ABC News.
The cruise line did not provide the victim’s identity.
