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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Monday, February 20, 2006

Search ends for missing crewman

Associated Press

HILO, Hawai'i — The Coast Guard has called off its search for a crewman on a cruise ship who apparently fell overboard between Hilo and San Diego, about 1,100 miles northeast of Hilo.

The 30-year-old man, who has not been identified, was reported missing early Friday morning by a roommate aboard the Holland America cruise ship Amsterdam.

After a search of the 780-foot vessel, crew members called the Coast Guard on Friday afternoon.

The Coast Guard instructed the ship to turn around to help in the search, and a nearby oil tanker also assisted in the rescue effort, said Coast Guard spokeswoman Petty Officer Brooksann Epiceno.

A C-130 aircraft searched for about three hours Saturday before it needed to refuel, and a second C-130 arrived later and surveyed the ocean for about two hours. The search was called off about 3 p.m. Saturday.

"It's never an easy thing to suspend a search," Epiceno said. "We just did everything that could be done."

There are no clues about how the man may have fallen overboard. A Holland America statement did not provide any details, but it did say the ship will arrive in San Diego today, one day late.

A spokeswoman for the cruise company declined further comment.

Officials estimated that the crewman could have survived about seven hours in the 66-degree waters, Epiceno said.

On the night he went missing, there were 10-foot seas and winds up to 26 mph. His life jacket was found in his cabin.

The Amsterdam has 647 crew members and holds 1,380 passengers, according to Holland America.