In a disturbing early morning incident on April 4, 2024, a 20-year-old man went overboard from the Royal Caribbean cruise ship Liberty of the Seas, igniting a frantic search and rescue operation.

The ship was navigating waters 57 miles from Great Inagua Island in the Bahamas during a four-night Eastern Caribbean cruise when the event occurred.

The 18-story ship was sailing between Cuba and the Bahamas’ Grand Inagua Island when the unidentified man jumped off one of the decks.

Eyewitnesses report the young man, who had been drinking, impulsively jumped overboard following a brief altercation with his father, witnessed by his brother and other passengers. Bryan Sims, a fellow passenger, detailed his interaction with the young man and his brother in the hot tub shortly before the incident, noting the young man’s intoxication. The sudden act followed a confrontation with his father about his condition. “He said to his dad, ‘I’ll fix this right now.’ And he jumped out the window in front of us all,” recounted Sims, highlighting the spontaneity and severity of the moment.

Passengers aboard, including Deborah Morrison and Amy Phelps Fouse, described the immediate aftermath as the crew and guests mobilized to assist in the search efforts, underscored by a collective sentiment of shock and empathy for the family.

“I had hung out with him and his brother in the hot tub until 3:30,” passenger Bryan Sims said. “It was standing room only. He sat right beside me the whole time.”

“He was pretty drunk,” Sims added.

The cruise line, in a statement, confirmed the immediate initiation of search and rescue efforts in collaboration with the U.S. Coast Guard, who took over the operation. Despite exhaustive efforts, the man had not been located at the time of reporting.

Royal Caribbean has extended support to the young man’s family, though details of the incident remain guarded to respect their privacy. The occurrence has cast a somber mood among passengers, with many expressing their condolences and willingness to assist in any way possible.

Overboard incidents on cruise ships, while infrequent, pose significant risks and often result in fatalities. Between 2000 and 2020, approximately 386 overboard cases were reported among major cruise lines, per The Washington Post. In response, cruise lines have increasingly implemented safety measures and surveillance systems aimed at preventing such incidents, including high railings on decks and cut-off policies for serving alcohol to visibly intoxicated passengers.

The U.S. Coast Guard’s ongoing search and rescue operation involves extensive resources, including the Cutter Seneca and an HC-144 patrol plane, demonstrating the seriousness with which such incidents are treated.