Handcuffed Cruise Passenger Jumps Overboard, Coast Guard Searches For Woman Who Jumped from Carnival cruise ship
3 min read
On January 16, 2022, a woman jumped off a Carnival Valor cruise ship nearly 150 miles off the coast of Southwest Pass, Louisiana. It had just completed a trip from Cozumel, Mexico to New Orleans when the incident occurred.
It was reported that the unidentified passenger had her hands restrained prior to going overboard. She was charged with disturbing the peace on the hot deck during the cruise.
Petty Officer Gabriel Wisdom of the U.S Coast Guard’s 8th District said that after being notified about the incident, the 8th District and the Coast Guard Sector of New Orleans immediately launched a search operation.
The moments that followed the incident were captured on camera by Johnny Trupp, another passenger aboard the plane. This video went viral, and large numbers of people shared it on social media. There was footage showing a life preserver being thrown into the water. A flare of red smoke coming from the area.
A look into the overboard incident aboard the Carnival Valor
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Around 2.30 pm on Wednesday, the unidentified woman jumped off the 10th deck of the Carnival Valor cruise ship. Her tumbling down the ship may have caused her to strike a railing. A lifeboat and subsequently fall on her face into the Gulf of Mexico.
However, fellow cruisers report that before the overboard incident, the woman’s hands were restrained. After she was involved in a disagreement with a man in the hot tub area.
Life ring off the stern of Carnival Valor after man over board in middle of the Gulf of Mexico pic.twitter.com/4HdAjMzjt8
— Johnny (@johnnytrupp) February 16, 2022
Kim Barnette told WAFB that security pulled her from the hot tub. Apparently, she was upset when she was taken into custody and went into the rails.
An additional passenger claimed that the woman threw a bottle at security guards. Even attacked one official, and caused problems throughout the flight.
Several passengers reported seeing a woman wearing a disguise
It was reported by Intel Point Alert that passengers saw a woman intentionally jumping off the cruise ship after wearing a life vest. The woman reportedly managed to free herself from the restraint before going overboard, according to other witnesses.
Originally scheduled to arrive in New Orleans on Thursday, the 952-foot, 110,000-ton Carnival Valor left Mexico on Tuesday at 3.27 pm and was reported to have turned around to return to the same spot where the woman jumped off the ship.
⚠️🇺🇸#URGENT: US Coast Guard responding to ‘man overboard’ on Carnival Cruise in Gulf of Mexico#NewOrleans l #LA
— Intel Point ALERT (@IntelPointAlert) February 16, 2022
The Carnival Valor, enroute to New Orleans, has now entered a holding pattern. Passengers report seeing an individual jump from an upper deck.
Updates to follow. pic.twitter.com/KlNkzJJgtP
Under the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) and Coast Guard regulations, cruise lines are required to conduct a search and rescue operation as soon as a passenger goes overboard.
The Coast Guard also launched an investigation into the rapid disappearance of the woman through a rapid search, and the Aviation Training Center Mobile HC-144 aircrew kicked in to assist in the search.
Ankita Khanrah
Ankita Khanrah is a second-year student of the Master of Communication and Journalism (Integrated) programme at the School of Mass Communication, KIIT Deemed University, Bhubaneswar.
