The US Coast Guard has suspended its search for 56-year-old Thomas Gigler, who went overboard from the Carnival Panorama while the cruise ship was sailing off the coast of Mexico.
Gigler, a resident of Redlands, California, was travelling with his wife, Michelle, 48, on the final day of a seven-night Mexican Riviera cruise. The couple had been celebrating their upcoming 15th wedding anniversary, which was scheduled for September 23.
The cruise began in Long Beach on September 13 and included stops at Cabo San Lucas, Mazatlán and Puerto Vallarta. The ship was returning to California when Gigler was reported missing.
Authorities said Gigler was last seen on Friday evening. His disappearance was reported to the Coast Guard at around 1:30 pm on Saturday. The ship was approximately 57 miles from the Mexican coast when the report was made.
Following the report, the Coast Guard launched an extensive search operation involving aircraft, vessels and Mexican authorities. Several fixed-wing Coast Guard aircraft were deployed to search the surrounding waters from the air.
The Rescue Coordination Center Alameda coordinated the operation after receiving information from Coast Guard Sector Los Angeles-Long Beach. Officials also worked with Mexico’s Maritime Rescue Coordination Center to coordinate the response.
A Mexican naval vessel and six other vessels, including nearby ships that volunteered to assist, joined the search. Authorities used the Automated Mutual-Assistance Vessel Rescue system to identify vessels in the area that could help with the operation.
More than 1,707 square miles of ocean were searched during the operation. Despite the large-scale effort, rescuers were unable to locate Gigler.
Authorities later reviewed camera footage from the cruise ship and determined that it had captured Gigler going overboard. The footage provided investigators with additional information about what happened and helped establish a clearer timeline of the incident.
However, no sighting of Gigler was reported during the search, which continued for more than 41 hours.
The Coast Guard eventually suspended the operation after assessing the available information and the results of the extensive search. Jessica Davila, chief of incident management for the Coast Guard’s Southwest District, said decisions to suspend search operations were difficult and expressed sympathy for those affected by the incident.
The case has left Gigler’s family facing uncertainty after the extensive search failed to find him. Authorities have not announced any further details about the circumstances surrounding his disappearance beyond the information obtained from the ship’s camera footage.
The Carnival Panorama continued its journey after the incident. The ship had been operating a regular Mexican Riviera itinerary before beginning its return trip to Long Beach.
The Coast Guard’s search involved coordination between US and Mexican authorities and covered a large area of the Pacific Ocean. Despite the combined efforts of aircraft, naval personnel and civilian vessels, there was no trace of Gigler before the operation was called off.
The incident remains a tragic development for Gigler’s family and fellow passengers, who were aboard the cruise during the final stages of the seven-night journey.
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