The U.S. Coast Guard is intensively searching the Gulf of Mexico for a 28-year-old man from Houma, Louisiana, who was reported missing from the Carnival Glory cruise ship. 

The ship departed from New Orleans, Louisiana, on Sunday, November 12, 2023, for a week-long journey to Jamaica, Grand Cayman Island, and Cozumel, Mexico, before its scheduled return to New Orleans on November 19, 2023.

Tyler Lee Barnett was last seen on the ship at approximately 11:40 pm on Sunday, as confirmed by his sister, who was also aboard the Carnival Glory. The ship’s security team initiated an immediate search early Monday morning, November 13, 2023, after being alerted by a family member of Barnett’s absence. They reviewed the onboard camera footage and notified the Coast Guard of the situation.

On Monday afternoon, the Coast Guard commenced a search operation, deploying aircrews that scoured a 200-square-mile area off Louisiana’s coast near SouthWest Pass. The search efforts, however, faced challenges due to severe weather conditions, including gale-force winds and rough seas measuring 8-12 feet, which temporarily paused the operation overnight. The Coast Guard resumed the search with additional assets as soon as the weather allowed.

Despite the situation, the Carnival Glory was cleared to continue its scheduled itinerary, proceeding to Montego Bay, Jamaica, and then onto its subsequent stops.

The Coast Guard emphasized that initially, no reports from the cruise ship confirmed that an individual had fallen or jumped overboard. The report was based on the passenger’s inability to be located on the vessel. The authorities issued broadcasts and messages to mariners in the Gulf of Mexico, alerting them to the missing passenger and the ongoing search operation.

However, it was reported on November 15 that Barnett was observed on security footage jumping overboard. The footage revealed him jumping off the cruise ship around 1:40 a.m. on Monday. According to a Carnival spokesperson, Barnett reached the jumping point by first climbing onto a lifeboat. The footage has not been publicly released.

Family members and friends of Barnett have taken to social media to share information and seek assistance in the search. 

The Carnival Glory, measuring 952 feet in length, has the capacity to hold up to 2,980 passengers and 1,150 crew members. The cruise line has not provided further comments to the media regarding the incident as of the latest updates.