Cruise passengers fall overboard in Caribbean, search suspended

A 51-year-old man went overboard on a Norwegian cruise ship in the Caribbean hoping to find him abandoned after an “extensive” search, the cruise line said.

The unidentified passenger fell from the Norwegian Epic around 3 p.m. Thursday while the ship was sailing from Ocho Rios, Jamaica, to Great Stirrup Cay in the Bahamas.

“Authorities were immediately notified and a search and rescue operation under the guidance and supervision of the Bahamas Rescue Coordination Center began,” a Norwegian Cruise Line spokesperson told The Post.

After an “extensive” but ultimately unsuccessful search, which involved assistance from another nearby cruise ship, the Norwegian Epic “was released by authorities to continue her voyage,” the cruise line said.

It was not immediately clear how the passenger went overboard. He traveled with a large group that included his family, who are being “looked after and supported in this very challenging situation,” the cruise line said.

“Our thoughts and prayers are with his loved ones at this difficult time,” the spokesman said.

Immediately after the passenger disembarked, the ship threw a flare into the ocean to mark its location, where the man fell and circled the area repeatedly, according to Cruise Hive.

Holland America Line’s ship Zuiderdam, which was sailing nearby, joined the search.

Video from a Norwegian Epic passenger posted on social media shows passengers on their balconies scanning the sea for signs of the man.

Norwegian Epic is currently on a seven-night Caribbean voyage after departing Canaveral, Florida, on Saturday.