A man who went missing after reportedly jumping off a Carnival cruise ship on Saturday has been identified as Thomas Gigler.
The 56-year-old man was on the Panorama, sailing from Long Beach, California, to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, when he went overboard.
Gigler had been travelling with his wife Michelle, 48, and their three sons, aged 13, 11 and nine, for a 15th wedding anniversary trip.
A spokesperson for Carnival said: ‘Carnival is providing support to the family who was travelling with the guest, and our thoughts and prayers are with them and their loved ones.’
His jump from the 11th deck six days into their week-long holiday was caught on CCTV, but circumstances surrounding his fall are unclear.
According to the Daily Mail, Michelle had begun searching for him on Saturday morning but was unable to locate him, so she contacted staff.
Calls were put out for him from 11am until around 2pm, when the ship turned around. By 3.30pm, passengers were ordered back to their cabins.
After a check of the cabins and IDs had been scanned, staff checked CCTV and discovered Gigler had gone overboard.
The US Coast Guard has been deployed in an effort to find him, as he was not visible in the surrounding ocean.
‘The Coast Guard launched fixed wing aircraft to assist with the search and is coordinating search efforts with the Mexican Navy and commercial vessels in the area,’ a spokesperson said in a statement. ‘The search remains ongoing.’
The 1,059ft ship had begun the journey home to California when passengers realised a change of direction meant they were heading back to Mexico.
Gigler’s family told the Mail they were heartbroken by the news, having no idea what brought on the alleged suicide.
Their 15th wedding anniversary was four days away, with his sister Wendy Dowden stating the couple were ‘getting along quite well’.
‘We think something must have happened in his head. He wasn’t in his right mind to have done this,’ she said.
In a statement, Carnival added: ‘When notified of a missing guest, the ship’s team initiated search and investigation procedures, including reviewing CCTV footage and notifying both the US and Mexico Coast Guards.’
Guest Misty Hernandez told The Guardian that the atmosphere abruptly changed, with a once bustling environment now quiet.
She had briefly met Gigler in the lifts, along with his wife and children, sharing: ‘They had mentioned that it was their anniversary trip. My heart just hurts for their family.’
Some passengers prayed together, while a poster board was filled with messages to the family and the missing guest.
His status is still unknown, but survival rates for going overboard on a cruise ship are low.
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