In the first hours after the Carnival Valor set sail from New Orleans on Thanksgiving eve, a brother and sister set off for a place apropos of a holiday mood: They headed to an onboard bar.
In the first hours after the Carnival Valor set sail from New Orleans on Thanksgiving eve, a brother and sister set off for a place apropos of a holiday mood: They headed to an onboard bar.
Predictably, the man at one point stepped away to use the restroom.
But he didn’t come back.
Hours passed.
He wasn’t in his stateroom.
The 28-year-old had, quite simply, vanished.
What happened next has astonished at least one seasoned mariner who, with hours of hindsight, declared the stunning outcome unlike anything he’s ever witnessed — and nothing short of “one of those Thanksgiving miracles.”
It was around 11 p.m. when her brother walked off, the sister recalled, Carnival spokesperson Matt Lupoli told CNN on Thursday in a statement.
At noon the next day — Thanksgiving Day — she reported him missing, the statement said. Officials haven’t identified either one.
Announcements echoed through the ship for the missing passenger to check in with guest services, passenger Mike Anderson CNN on Thursday, and people “noticed security starting to search the boat with a photo of the missing (passenger) in their phones.”
At around 2 p.m., a final check-in request was issued, he said.
Passengers were told the arrival time to their port of call in Cozumel, Mexico, would be delayed, Anderson said, but no official announcement went out about what had happened.
The ship, he said, then turned around.
“Carnival Valor retraced its route to support the search and rescue,” Lupoli explained.
