A 73-year-old man has reportedly gone missing after falling overboard from the Disney Wonder cruise ship in the Tasman Sea.
According to PEOPLE, the incident occurred on Saturday, November 22, while the ship was sailing from Melbourne, Australia, to Auckland, New Zealand.
Reports indicated the man jumped from the ship at around 4:30 a.m local time. In response, the Disney Wonder turned around and conducted a search of the surrounding waters for roughly five hours. The search reportedly included the use of thermal imaging cameras, but the man was not found.
Passengers said the mood on board grew tense and somber. One passenger recalled how the captain announced that a passenger had gone overboard and that despite the crew’s efforts, he could not be located.
The passenger added that “it was quite sombre, and it was a bit eerie the rest of the day,” noting that many of the crew appeared shaken by the incident.
Victoria Police confirmed that the man’s body has not been recovered and that they were preparing a report for the coroner, but officials said they were not treating the event as suspicious.
Meanwhile, the Disney Wonder is continuing its trip to Auckland but is now expected to arrive a day later than scheduled on Wednesday, November 26.