Coast Guard searching for missing cruise ship passenger northwest of Cuba

U.S. Coast Guard sent this bulletin at 03/22/2017 09:12 AM EDT

united states coast guard 

News Release  

Mar. 22, 2017
U.S. Coast Guard 7th District Southeast
Contact: 7th District Public Affairs
Office: (305) 415-6683
After Hours: (786) 367-7649

Coast Guard searching for missing cruise ship passenger northwest of Cuba

MIAMI – The Coast Guard is searching for a 23-year-old man Wednesday who fell off the Carnival Victory cruise ship 33 miles northwest of Pinar Del Rio, Cuba.

Missing is Brandon Paul, 23, Floral City, Florida resident, who reportedly went overboard from the eighth deck of the cruise ship at approximately 3 a.m. The cruise ship launched a search boat and contacted watch standers at the Seventh Coast Guard District Command Center.

The watch standers directed the launch of a Coast Guard Air Station Miami HC-144 Ocean Sentry airplane crew and diverted the Coast Guard Cutter Charles Sexton to search for Paul. The cruise ship continues to search on scene.

Due to the proximity of the incident to Cuban territorial seas, Cuban search and rescue authorities have launched assets to assist in the search efforts.

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-USCG-