Passenger rescued after going overboard and spending hours in the Gulf of Mexico

Passenger rescued after going overboard and spending hours in the Gulf of Mexico

Authorities reported Friday that a guy who went overboard during a holiday cruise in the Gulf of Mexico was rescued after several hours in the sea off the coast of New Orleans.

The 28-year-old, who has not been identified officially, may have been in the water for at least six hours when he was rescued Thursday. According to US Coast Guard officials, he was recovered roughly 20 miles south of Louisiana’s Southwest Pass, where the Mississippi River meets the coast.

Given the length of time, he could have been in the water, the man’s survival was hailed as unlikely, if not miraculous. According to Coast Guard Petty Officer Ryan Graves, the man lacked a flotation device and would be unlikely to survive at sea without one.

Around 11 p.m. on Wednesday, the man, who was a cruise ship passenger, was last seen boarding the Carnival Valor, which was headed to Mexico, according to Graves. The Coast Guard rescued the man six hours after getting a report of a passenger overboard at 2:30 p.m. Thursday. It is unclear when or how the man went overboard. According to Carnival Cruise Lines, an unintentional fall into the ocean would be unusual and physically demanding.