According to local authorities, the man is believed to be a Maryland resident in his mid-thirties.

After the accident, crewmembers roped off the area and a search and rescue team employed jet skis, motorized boats and other small boats to search for the passenger.

The ship’s departure from Great Stirrup Cay was delayed for two and a half hours due to the search. The man’s body was recovered Friday morning following an extensive search.

According to NCL, members of the search team did everything they could to find the missing man as quickly as possible.”We are saddened by this tragic accident. Our thoughts and prayers are with the family and friends of the guest during this difficult time,” said the cruise company in a brief statement.

A visitor to the Great Stirrup Cay in the Berry Islands described the area where the man fell as extremely dangerous.

“Just a few hours earlier we [were] at the same spot where the man slipped, having our picture taken with the ship in the background. That particular area is very rocky. The volcanic rock is very, very sharp and footing is extremely tenuous. You have to watch each and every step you take. At the edge is a drop of 8 to 10 feet down to the water,” they told international media.

The company did not release the name of the man who died or where he was from.