The U.S. Coast Guard has ended their search for a Louisiana teenager who fell overboard from a sunset cruise in the Bahamas on Wednesday night.
Cameron Robbins, 18, from Baton Rouge, Louisiana, was staying at the Atlantis Paradise resort in Nassau with other teenagers to celebrate their recent high school graduation, WBRZ reported. Robbins had just graduated from University Lab School a few days earlier.
The group landed in the Bahamas on Wednesday and later went on a pirate-themed sunset cruise with a company called Blackbeard’s Revenge. According to a news release, Royal Bahamas Defence Force personnel contacted Coast Guard District Seven watchstanders on Wednesday at 11:30 p.m. and reported that a man fell off the Blackbeard’s Revenge sunset cruise ship and entered the water.
The ship was near Athol Island an uninhabited island located northeast of Nassau, according to WBRZ. Videos show Robbins jumping from the boat and swimming with a life preserver nearby.
The Royal Bahamas Police Force is investigating claims that Robbins jumped overboard as part of a dare, according to WBRZ.
Learn more: Best travel insurance
The boat stayed in the area that night for hours after the incident as people looked for Robbins.
TOO MANY CRUISING ACCIDENTS?Coast Guard opens investigation into Antarctica cruise casualties
TRAVEL SAFETY TOOLS:What are cruise ship overboard detection systems and why doesn’t every ship have them?
The Coast Guard assisted the Royal Bahamas Defence Force in search efforts by deploying aircrews.
The agency announced it was concluding its search on Friday evening after covering over 325 square miles.
“We were informed by the RBDF this evening that they were suspending the active search efforts pending further developments, and were not requesting further Coast Guard assistance after notifying the Robbins family,” said Lieutenant Commander Matthew Spado, Coast Guard liaison officer to the Bahamas, in a statement.
“We offer our sincerest condolences to Cameron Robbins’ family and friends,” Spado added.
The family of Robbins flew out to the Bahamas on Thursday, WAFB reported.
“The Bahamas government has called off the rescue for Cameron and we are returning to Baton Rouge,” the family said in a statement. “We want to thank the Bahamas government, the US Coast Guard, the United Cajun Navy, and Congressman Garrett Graves for everything they have done for us. In this time of grief, we thank our family, friends, and well-wishers for granting us the privacy we need to properly remember our son and mourn his loss.”
Going overboard on a cruise is a rare occurrence, according to experts. Between 2009 and 2019, 212 overboard incidents were reported worldwide. Of those, only 48 were rescued. Typically, tall railings help prevent accidents.
Kathleen Wong is a travel reporter for USA TODAY based in Hawaii. You can reach her at kwong@usatoday.com
