The US authorities officially suspended the search for an Australian person who drowned while aboard a Royal Caribbean cruise ship earlier this week.
On Thursday, the day after a search was started around 500 miles south of Hawaii’s Big Island, the United States Coast Guard declared that their search effort had been suspended.
According to a press release from the Coast Guard, the Australian citizen was aboard the cruise ship Quantum of the Seas when he reportedly fell overboard Tuesday night shortly after 11 p.m. local time.
Warwick Tollemache, 35, of Brisbane, has been named the victim, according to The Sydney Morning Herald and The Guardian.
According to the reports, Mandy Tollemache said on social media, “Our family is heartbroken at the loss of our beloved Warwick.”
On the Ormiston College Alumni Facebook page, Sarah Tollemache sent a similar statement, calling Warwick “a kind, beautiful, and gentle soul who was adored by everyone who knew him.”
Regarding the 2005 graduate of Ormiston College, Sarah said, “He will be greatly missed.” Royal Caribbean did not immediately return inquiries for comment from people.
According to Australian news agency Nine News, the Australian guy fell from the top deck, 15 floors above, as seen by witnesses.
According to the site, an announcement on board the ship asked all guests to return to their rooms and account for every group member.
According to a prior news statement from the Coast Guard, the ship’s crew conducted a two-hour search after he fell overboard and then continued to Hawaii. On Wednesday, the Coast Guard air team arrived again at the area and started searching at approximately 9 a.m. local time.
In six hours, the crew carried out five searches, but they were unable to find the missing man. According to Celine La Roche, Warwick’s girlfriend, she was “devastated” to learn that the search had been put on hold and that she won’t find peace until he is located.
