Coast Guard searching for missing Australian cruise ship passenger off Hawaiʻi

Coast Guard crews have launched a search for a cruise ship passenger from Australia, 500-miles south of Kailua Kona, Hawaiʻi Island.

Joint Rescue Coordination Center Honolulu received a report from the cruise ship Quantum of the Seas of a man overboard at 11:03 p.m. Tuesday evening, April 25, 2023. The crew of the cruise ship remained on scene to search for approximately two hours, deploying six life rings.

A Coast Guard Air Station Barbers Point C-130 Hercules aircrew launched at 7 a.m. Wednesday, April 26, and arrived on scene at approximately 9 a.m. to begin searching.

After six hours on scene, the crew returned to Air Station Barbers Point for fuel replenishment. The search will resume at first light Thursday morning.

The cruise ship has been at sea for 15 days and is expected to dock in Honolulu on Friday.