Cruise ship passenger, 72, suspected of falling overboard near San Francisco

A missing 72-year-old man is suspected to have gone overboard a cruise ship outside San Francisco early Monday, according to the cruise line and local authorities.

It wasn’t immediately clear what led to the incident, but a spokesperson for Princess Cruises said its team had reviewed video footage from the ship and also had “searched thoroughly several times without success,” ruling out any other possibilities for the man’s whereabouts.

The man, who wasn’t immediately identified, had been traveling alone on the Ruby Princess, which had departed from San Francisco on Nov. 27 for a five-day trip, according to Briana Latter, a Princess Cruises spokesperson. The ship was set to return to San Francisco just before 7 a.m. Monday after traveling to San Diego and Ensenada, Mexico.

The man is believed to have gone overboard sometime early Monday before the ship docked, Latter said in a statement.

“We extend our heartfelt condolences to the family and friends of the guest,” Latter said.

The U.S. Coast Guard was called to assist in the investigation Monday afternoon, dispatching two aircraft to search the waters about 45 miles off the coast of Monterey, said Petty Officer Hunter Schnabel. He said they called off the search Monday night without success.

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