Passenger Goes Overboard on Hawaii-Bound Cruise Ship

Authorities are searching for a 59-year-old male passenger who went missing from the Emerald Princess cruise ship near Hilo, Hawaii. The incident occurred in the early morning hours of August 11, 2023, as the ship was approaching its first port of call on a 16-night Hawaiian Islands sailing from Los Angeles. The United States Coast Guard (USCG) has initiated search operations off the northeastern coast of the Big Island. The missing man, identified as Kenneth Schwalbe of California, was last seen at 8:30 p.m. on August 10, but the missing person report was not initiated until the following morning. Video surveillance footage from the ship showed an individual matching Schwalbe’s description falling from the ship at 4:18 a.m. that morning. The search area has been determined to be approximately eight miles offshore Hilo.

The Emerald Princess, which can accommodate 3,080 guests at double occupancy, was searched by crew members, but the man could not be found. The ship’s captain made announcements about the incident, confirming it to guests. This is not the first overboard incident in recent months, as there have been similar incidents on other cruise lines. The thoughts are with the missing man’s friends and family, as well as with the crew and emergency personnel involved in the search operations.

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