SEARCH CALLED OFF Coast Guard abandons hunt for missing cruise ship passenger

Posted on 05/17/2016 | About Galveston, Texas

The US Coast Guard has suspended a search for a cruise ship passenger who apparently fell overboard into the Gulf of Mexico a day after leaving Galveston, Texas. A Coast Guard statement says the search for 33-year-old Samantha Broberg was suspended Sunday evening after crews searched for more than 20 hours, covering more than 4,300 square miles.

Carnival Cruise Line said in a statement that people travelling with Broberg reported her missing Friday. Ship surveillance video showed a woman falling overboard about 2 am Friday. Carnival says she can be seen sitting on a deck railing then falling back into the water. The Associated Press left a message Monday seeking comment from Broberg's family, in Arlington, Texas. The Carnival Liberty docked in Galveston on Monday morning.