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Samantha Broberg, A cruise passenger is missing after falling overboard in the Gulf of Mexico.
33-year-old Samantha Broberg was seen on ship surveillance footage tumbling into the sea, 195 miles away from the coast of Texas.
She fell overboard in the early hours of Friday, around 2am, and the US Coast Guard is searching for her.
The cruise ship was the Carnival Liberty which offers five day cruises to Mexico and can hold almost 3,000 passengers on board.
Rescuers said at this stage their focus is on trying to find her, rather than establishing why she went overboard.
The search is proving difficult, with Coast Guard Petty Officer Andy Kendrick telling CNN: “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.
“Basically airplanes are the quickest and most effective way we can search right now.
“The search area they are saturating is about 30 by 50 nautical miles.”
The aircraft are equipped with infra-red cameras to try and find people in the water.
Carnival Cruise Line issued a statement in response to Broberg’s disappearance: “Earlier today, a 33-year-old female guest on the cruise ship Carnival Liberty was reported missing by traveling companions.
“A ship-wide search was conducted along with a review of the ship’s camera footage.
“Unfortunately, it appears the guest may have gone overboard early this morning.
“Authorities were notified including the U.S. Coast Guard which is initiating a search effort in the area where the ship was located when the individual was last seen.
“Carnival’s CareTeam is providing support to the guest’s traveling companions and family.
“We are keeping our guest and her loved ones in our thoughts during this difficult time.”
Broberg’s husband Karl was not with her on the ship, instead with family in Texas.
Samantha was with a group of friends on board.
Passenger Linda Lopez told KTRK News that the incident has left fellow travellers stunned.
She said: “They wanted to check every single room to make sure that every guest was in their room.
“They were just keeping us updated like ‘we have not found her.
“People are talking about it everywhere.
“They’re very sad.”
The Carnival Liberty cost $500 million to build and has been in service since 2005.
Last year the Coast Guard was called to attend a fire in the engine room while at sea and all guests had to be evacuated, but fortunately nobody was injured nor was there any major damage.
Agencies/Canadajournal
