The US Coast Guard suspended its search efforts for missing cruise ship passenger Ronnie Lee Peale Jr. late Wednesday, fearing he has since drowned.
In a statement, the Coast Guard said the decision to suspend the search for the 35-year-old was something they "never...take lightly."
Peale was last seen aboard the cruise ship Carnival Magic at around 04:00 Monday morning when the ship's CCTV footage caught how he leaned over the balcony of his cabin and slipped overboard off the coast of Florida. The ship was returning to Norfolk following a routine cruise to the Bahamas.
FBI Takes Over Investigations
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has also been involved in piecing together the details about Peale's disappearance.
"The FBI typically has jurisdiction to investigate incidents on the high seas and works closely with our partners in law enforcement and in the cruising industry to collect the evidence and facts of cases," said a representative from the FBI.
Investigations also look at why Blosser failed to report her partner earlier in the day, but Blosser said Peale was drinking on the night before the incident.
Loved Ones Missing Peale
Peale was accompanied by his partner Jennilyn Michelle Blosser, who was devastated by the incident. She described Peale as "the life of the party" and enjoyed every minute of the cruise until the incident.
"I never could have imagined something like this could happen," Blosser wrote in a now-deactivated GoFundMe appeal.
Meanwhile, Peale's mother, Linda, told local media her son was a "wonderful man" and looked forward to the cruise as it was his first time doing so.
"It was just a special time because he'd never been on a cruise," she said.
