THE search for an elderly British man who fell from an adults-only cruise ship near the Canary Islands has been called off with the passenger still missing.
The alarm was sounded on Thursday morning after the 76-year-old unnamed tourist plunged into the Atlantic Ocean off Marella Explorer 2, a 14-deck vessel run by British travel operator TUI.
But the Spanish coastguard announced on Monday that search and rescue efforts to locate the man had been suspended.
“There’s no specific mobilisation of resources today as part of what we would call an intensive search,” a spokesperson for the coastguard said.
“The active search involving the resources that were put in place on Thursday and Friday has been scaled down,” he added.
The 248-metre-long ship was travelling from the Canary Islands to Madeira at the time of the incident.
The man is believed to have plunged into the Atlantic Ocean approximately 16 miles off Tenerife’s most northwestern point.
Once alerted, the ship’s captain immediately slowed the passenger liner to a near-stop before docking at the port of Santa Cruz de Tenerife.
Crew began reviewing camera footage, launching marker buoys and conducting circular search manoeuvres in a desperate attempt to find the missing man.
They were assisted by a maritime and air search operation including a helicopter, aircraft and two specialist rescue vessels, but search efforts have proven unsuccessful.
Boats in the area have been told to remain ‘on the lookout’ for any sign of the elderly man.
In a statement, Marella Cruises said they were ‘deeply saddened’ by the incident.
They said: “Our thoughts are with the individual and their loved ones during this difficult time.
“Our dedicated care team is supporting the family, providing assistance and comfort.
“We are working closely with local authorities and will continue to offer every possible support.”
The luxury Malta-flagged ship left Tenerife on November 21 for a seven-day tour including stops in Gran Canaria, Lanzarote, Fuerteventura, Madeira and La Gomera.
The Guardia Civil have confirmed that they are not investigating the incident as a crime.
They said: “The investigation is continuing its course but there’s nothing at this stage pointing to this being a violent death or anyone else intervening in what happened.”
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