Royal Caribbean cruise passengers left horrified as a man jumped overboard in front of his family.
The terrifying incident occurred on Thursday (April 4) at around 4:00AM on Royal Caribbean's Liberty of the Seas as it sailed between Cuba and the Bahamas' Grand Inagua Island.
According to The New York Post, the unidentified man jumped off one of the decks while his heartbroken father and brother watched helplessly.
A search and rescue mission was immediately launched by the cruise line.
A fellow passenger onboard the cruise called Bryan Sims told the publication that he was hanging out with the unnamed man and his brother in the hot tub "until 3:30AM".
Sims said it was "standing room only" and the man - who was allegedly "pretty drunk" - was "sat right beside [him] the whole time".
"As we were walking from the hot tub back to the elevators, his dad and brother were walking towards us. His dad was fussing at him for being drunk, I guess," he continued. "When we got to them, he said to his dad, 'I’ll fix this right now.' And he jumped out the window in front of us all.
"His family was horrified. Just beside themselves. I can’t even begin to imagine what they’re going through," Sims said. "It was insane. It was just surreal."
Another passenger named Deborah Morrison spoke out and said the crew was "alerted immediately" by the "yelling" while a passenger took to the Cruise Critic Community page online to write: "Currently on Liberty, heading back from Puerto Plata.
"Woke up last night between 2-3 and thought I heard an 'Alpha, Alpha, Alpha'. Learned this morning that it was an 'Oscar, Oscar, Oscar'," they said. "Other passengers said that the lifeboats had been out around the ship all morning. Later the Captain announced that the Coast Guard was taking over the search.
"At noon the Captain announced that we would be making up time and will probably only be an hour and a half late getting back to Ft. Lauderdale, we should be docking around 7:30 AM. My thoughts go out to all affected by this sad situation," they concluded.
The Royal Caribbean issued a statement to The New York Post explaining that its crew immediately jumped into action following the horror incident.
"The ship’s crew immediately launched a search and rescue effort alongside the US Coast Guard, who has taken over the search,” the statement reads. "Our Care Team is providing support and assistance to the guest’s family during this difficult time. For the privacy of the guest and their family, we have no additional details to share."
Meanwhile, other guests onboard woke up and offered to help, with passenger Amy Phelps Fouse disclosing: "The early morning was definitely somber as so many people came out of their cabins to stare at the sea, hoping to be able to aid in finding the person.
"Royal Caribbean has been excellent at communicating updates throughout the day," Fouse continued. "They have asked that people act with compassion in light of the tragic situation."
The US Coast Guard confirmed to the outlet that the mission is ongoing as the man has yet to be discovered.
Our thoughts are with the man's family and friends at this devastating time.
If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call or text 988 or chat 988lifeline.org
