Coast Guard suspends search for missing Carnival cruise ship crew member

Man seen going overboard on Carnival Victory near Cuba

MIAMI – The U.S. Coast Guard has suspended its search for a missing Carnival cruise ship crew member.

A statement from Carnival Cruise Line said a crew member on the Carnival Victory "was witnessed going overboard" Thursday while the ship was returning to Miami.

The Coast Guard said the 37-year-old man went overboard about 30 miles northwest of Cuba.

After searching about 2,600 nautical miles, the Coast Guard was unable to find the man.

"We've been in contact with the crewmember's family throughout our search efforts and know this is a very difficult time for them," Michael Mullen, search and rescue mission coordinator for the Coast Guard's 7th District, said in a statement. "Suspending a search is one of the most difficult decisions we have to make as first responders, and it is never made lightly."