Coast Guard suspends search for man who went overboard from cruise ship

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The U.S. Coast Guard on Wednesday suspended its search for a man who went overboard from the Carnival Magic cruise ship off the coast of Florida.

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Officials said they searched more than 5,170 square miles over 60 hours, looking for Ronnie Peale, 35. Video showed that Peale went over the railing of his stateroom balcony around 4:10 a.m. Monday and fell into the water about 185 miles east of Jacksonville, according to the USCG and WAVY-TV.

“The decision to suspend the active search efforts pending further development is never one we take lightly,” Lt. Cmdr. Christopher Hooper, Coast Guard District Seven search and rescue mission coordinator, said Wednesday in a news release. “We offer our most sincere condolences to Mr. Peale’s family and friends.”

People who were with Peale on the night he went overboard said he was intoxicated, WJAX-TV reported. His fiancée, Jennilyn Michelle Blosser, told WVEC-TV that she reported him missing after realizing that she couldn’t find him anywhere on the cruise ship. She said Peale was “the life of the party” and that he “loved the cruise life,” according to WTKR.

Peale was one of eight siblings and remembered by his loved ones as a “sweet soul” who “made everybody smile,” according to WHSV-TV.

“He would make sure you know him the first time you meet him,” his brother, Billy Peale, told the news station. “He is definitely that kind of individual.”

The Carnival Magic can carry as many as 3,690 guests and sails from Miami and Norfolk. In excursions ranging from two to more than 10 days, it makes stops that can include ports in the Bahamas, Bermuda and the Caribbean, according to Carnival Cruise Lines.