Carnival Elation’s March 22 return to Jacksonville, Florida was delayed due to ongoing search and rescue operations following the capsizing of a vessel on St. John’s River.
The incident forced Carnival Cruise Line to postpone embarkation by three hours.
An email from Guest Services reads, “Carnival Elation will be docking in Jacksonville later than scheduled this morning and your embarkation has been revised. Please delay your terminal arrival appointment by 3 hours…”
What Happened?
Reports of an overturned 18-foot vessel near Dames Point Bridge came in last Friday evening, March 21, at around 7 pm.
Authorities say a small group had sailed to the river to photograph the sunset.
The vessel carried eight people—four people were on top of the vessel while four passengers remained inside during the rescue.
None of them appeared to be wearing life jackets.
The four people above the vessel were successfully picked up while a fifth passenger was found in the water lifeless.
Three individuals, comprised of two children and one adult, remained missing.
USCG Suspends Search Efforts
With the Port of Jacksonville temporarily closed, local authorities combed over 270 square miles, deploying divers, rescue boats, and helicopters before calling off the search 17 hours later on Saturday.
Lt. Commander Barton Nanney from USCG Jacksonville emphasized that the decision to discontinue search and rescue had not been made lightly.
“Suspending search efforts is an incredibly difficult and heartbreaking decision, made only after an exhaustive and thorough search,” he explained.
“We are truly grateful to our partner agencies for their relentless efforts and unwavering support.”
The coordinated operation involved several government agencies, with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) leading the search.
Privately owned boats and jet skis also surveyed the area.
Sixth Passenger Found
A sixth passenger was found in the water on Sunday after the Coast Guard had ceased search and rescue operations, reducing the number of missing passengers to two.
According to the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, “As of Sunday evening, one more person has been located deceased, but crews are still actively searching for the other two missing boaters.”
Over the last few months, two more cases of capsized vessels required rescue.
Last December, a man from an overturned vessel was retrieved from Cuban waters while two people and their dog were spotted in Tampa Bay in January.
