Search for man who fell off Carnival cruise ship near Florida is suspended

The Coast Guard on Wednesday night suspended the search for a cruise ship passenger who is believed to have fallen into the sea east of Florida on Monday morning, officials said.

Ronnie Peale, 35, was identified as the passenger who fell about 4 a.m. as the Carnival Magic cruise ship was around 180 miles east of Jacksonville.

“The decision to suspend the active search efforts pending further development is never one we take lightly. We offer our most sincere condolences to Mr. Peale’s family and friends,” Coast Guard Lt. Cmdr. Christopher Hooper said in a statement.

The Coast Guard said it was notified around 6:30 p.m. Monday that a passenger had fallen. The search involved HC-130 Hercules airplanes, a HC-144 plane and a cutter, which is a ship.

More than 5,171 square miles were searched, the Coast Guard said.

The Carnival Magic is around 1,000 feet long and has a capacity of almost 3,700 passengers, in addition to around 1,300 crew members, according to the cruise company. It had been scheduled to arrive Tuesday in Norfolk, Virginia.