Coast Guard searches for woman who fell from cruise ship near Bahamas

Carnival Ecstasy crew says passenger fell overboard about 2:30 a.m.

MIAMI – The U.S. Coast Guard is searching for a woman who fell from a cruise ship near the Bahamas.

Crewmembers from the Carnival Ecstasy notified the Coast Guard that a 32-year-old passenger, identified as Rina Patel, was seen falling overboard about 2:30 a.m. Wednesday. The woman, who was wearing a white dress with pink floral patterns, fell from the 11th deck.

A Coast Guard cutter and helicopter crew from Miami were dispatched to search for Patel, who fell overboard about 27 miles west of Freeport, Bahamas.

The ship stopped in Nassau, Bahamas, on Tuesday and was scheduled to stop in Charleston, South Carolina, on Thursday.

Carnival Cruise Line spokeswoman Jennifer de la Cruz told Local 10 News in an email that cruise ship personnel have been helping in the search throughout the morning. She said the Coast Guard released the ship to continue on to Charleston at 9 a.m.

De la Cruz said cruise ship personnel are providing assistance and support to the missing passenger's family.

Patel is from Interlaken, New York.


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Peter Burke returned for a second stint of duty at Local 10 News in February 2014.