NEW YORK – The Coast Guard suspended its search for a Carnival Cruise Lines passenger who jumped overboard while returning from the British Virgin Islands with his family.
Ramesh Krishnamurthy, 35, had been arguing with his wife over the bar tab early Saturday when he jumped from the ship in front of his two children, Petty Officer Christopher Evanson said Tuesday.
The Coast Guard searched the waters for 17 hours before suspending the search Sunday night after "we exhausted all our options," Evanson said.
Evanson said Krishnamurthy was an American citizen but he did not know his hometown. The man was "under the influence of alcohol when he participated in the argument with his wife," Evanson said.
Carnival Cruise Lines said in a statement that its Carnival Legend vessel was enroute from Tortola just after 1 a.m. Saturday when the passenger was seen jumping overboard.
The ship arrived in New York, its home port, Sunday night, Carnival said.
The Carnival Legend, dubbed a Fun Ship on the cruise company's Web site, can carry more than 2,100 passengers. New York was the first and last stop of an eight-day cruise that visited San Juan, Puerto Rico, St. Thomas and Tortola.
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