Mysterious Disappearance Of Elderly Cruise Passenger Triggers Investigation

Coast Guard helicopter rescue above sea with boat nearby

The mysterious disappearance of a 72-year-old man on a Princess Cruise has launched a full-scale investigation.

At a Glance

A passenger on the Ruby Princess is feared to have fallen overboard en route to San Francisco.
The missing 72-year-old man was traveling alone.
CCTV footage and extensive searches of the ship yielded no results.
The U.S. Coast Guard has ended their search operation.

Details of the Disappearance

An American man, aged 72, disappeared while traveling alone on a Princess Cruise ship heading to Mexico. The passenger was last seen before the ship approached Ensenada, Mexico. The ship docked back in San Francisco at approximately 7 a.m., where the crew realized he was missing.

Despite a thorough investigation of the ship’s CCTV footage and an extensive search, the man was not located. The circumstances have led authorities to treat this as a “man overboard” situation. Upon the ship’s return, Princess Cruises immediately cooperated with U.S. Customs and Border Protection for a formal investigation.

A 72-year-old man is missing and is believed to have fallen overboard from the Ruby Princess cruise ship near San Francisco.https://t.co/alLzuunzbd

— San Francisco Chronicle (@sfchronicle) December 3, 2024

Search and Investigation

The U.S. Coast Guard deployed aircrews from Sacramento and San Francisco to search areas approximately 45 miles off Monterey. These efforts were in cooperation with ship searches and review of recorded footage, attempting to locate the missing individual’s whereabouts.

“Having ruled out other possibilities, this is being treated as a man overboard. We extend our heartfelt condolences to the family and friends of the guest who was traveling alone,” said Princess Cruises in a statement.

Despite exhaustive measures taken, the U.S. Coast Guard concluded their mission by Monday evening. The mystery remains unsolved as updates are anticipated from the ongoing investigation led by U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

A 72-year-old man is believed to have gone overboard during a five-day Princess Cruise trip to Mexico, company officials said. https://t.co/ckPSStQXgK

— ABC News (@ABC) December 3, 2024

Relevant Details About the Cruise

The Ruby Princess, after completing a five-day round trip to Ensenada, Mexico, docked early in the morning in San Francisco. Originally scheduled to depart later the same day for a 16-day voyage to the Hawaiian Islands, this incident altered the regular disembarking procedures.

The passenger’s absence, discovered during routine procedures, has affected the ship’s schedule. As more information emerges, Princess Cruises has continued to extend cooperation with authorities and support the missing passenger’s family during this challenging time.