Local law enforcement and the U.S. Coast Guard are searching for a Holland America crew member who was reported missing Saturday when the ship docked at Fort Lauderdale, Fla. File Photo courtesy of Holland America
April 14 (UPI) — Authorities are searching for a missing crew member who went overboard Friday from a Holland America cruise ship.
Deputies with the Broward County Sheriff’s Office Port Everglades District responded around 11:18 a.m. EDT Saturday to a report of a missing crew member on the Rotterdam cruise ship.
The ship was sailing eastward along the Florida Keys at the tail end of a six-night Caribbean cruise when the incident happened.
Holland America in a statement said closed-circuit TV footage showed the crew member “purposefully” went overboard around 9:45 p.m. Friday.
The crew member was noted missing when the ship docked at Fort Lauderdale Saturday.
“All of us at Holland America Line are deeply saddened by this incident and our thoughts and prayers are with the team member’s family at this difficult time,” the cruise line said in a statement.
The sheriff’s office homicide and crime scene units were dispatched to Port Everglades to investigate. The U.S. Coast Guard is conducting the search at sea for the crew member.