MIAMI – The U.S. Coast Guard confirmed Thursday that it has suspended the search for a missing Carnival cruise ship passenger in the waters off Miami.
According to Coast Guard officials, Sector Miami Command Center watchstanders were alerted about the missing passenger around 11 a.m. Monday.
Miami-Dade police said Kevin McGrath, 26, was last seen around 2 a.m. that morning inside his cabin onboard the Carnival Conquest ship.
A statement from the cruise line, however, said his cabin mate actually last saw him around 7 a.m. “around the time the debarkation of guests was beginning.”
“The guest was not located on board despite an extensive search,” the statement read. “The U.S. Coast Guard was contacted and completed a helicopter search of the water in the general vicinity and Miami-Dade police officers came on board to investigate.”
Carnival confirmed that McGrath “was not detected by surveillance systems, including U.S. Customs and Border Patrol during the debarkation process.”
Coast Guard crews searched nearly 3,300 square nautical miles for more than 80 hours.
Miami-Dade police and Fire Rescue and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission also assisted in the search.
McGrath’s sister told Local 10 News reporter Roy Ramos Wednesday that her brother was aboard the ship with several relatives, celebrating their father’s 60th birthday.
“He was having a good time, an amazing time, on the cruise ship,” said Danielle McGrath.
Relatives said they know McGrath didn’t get off the ship through the debarkation process because his mother still has all of his personal identification credentials, like his birth certificate and license.
“This is not like him and he would never disappear like this,” Danielle McGrath said. “He is also a father of two kids. He would not disappear.”
Carnival Cruise Lines confirmed to Local 10 News Thursday that their investigation continues, including multiple reviews of closed circuit video footage.
Anyone with information about Kevin McGrath’s whereabouts is asked to call Detective M. Ritch Jr. at 305-715-3300 or Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers at 305-471-8477.