Man goes overboard on Norwegian Cruise Line ship headed for Bahamas; search called off

The Norwegian Epic is in the midst of a seven-night Western Caribbean voyage after departing Saturday from Canaveral, Florida, according to Cruise Hive, a cruise industry blog.

After cruise officials learned that the man had gone over the side, authorities were notified and a search began under the guidance of the Bahamas Rescue Coordination Center, the cruise line told USA TODAY.

Many passengers assisted in the search and shared updates on social media as onboard announcements indicated that the individual was wearing a blue shirt. Holland America Line’s Zuiderdam, which was nearby, also joined in the search, Cruise Hive reported.

“After an extensive search that was unfortunately unsuccessful, the ship was released by the authorities,” the Norwegian Cruise Line spokesperson said in a statement.