Search Suspended for Missing Cruise Ship Passenger

The U.S. Coast Guard suspended the search for 33-year-old Samantha Broberg late Sunday evening after the passenger went missing while aboard the cruise ship Carnival Liberty just three days prior.

Video surveillance captured Broberg climbing a railing on the 10^th deck of the ship and falling backwards into the Gulf of Mexico at approximately 2 a.m. Friday. The crews searched for 20 hours and covered more than 4,300 square miles of ocean before calling off the search.

The Carnival cruise ship had departed from Galveston, TX Thursday and was en route to Cozumel, Mexico for a four-day cruise.

In the awake of this tragic event, Schechter, Shaffer & Harris, L.L.P.  would like to extend a few tips on how to prevent such maritime incidents on cruises:

1. Don’t drink alone: Alcohol flows free and heavy on many cruise lines, but being alone and intoxicated are both risk-factors for man-overboard incidents.
2. Keep your guard up: Don’t walk down dark hallways; keep your distance from inebriated or tempered passengers; don’t accept drinks from strangers.
3. Don’t position yourself or your kids on railings to get a better look: Cruise ships offer telescopes for passengers to use, or you can bring your own binoculars.
4. Report anything suspicious: Walk to the Purser’s Office and let the staff know if you witnessed anything questionable, i.e. a couple fighting or an adult lurking outside of the teen club. They will appreciate your assistance in preventing a potentially harmful situation.
5. If severe weather kicks in, stay in your room: The choppy waters and slick decks can make passengers susceptible to falls. Best to stay inside than to watch the waves from your balcony.

If you or someone you know has been a victim of a maritime accident, let the experienced attorneys at Schechter, Shaffer & Harris, L.L.P., Accident & Injury Lawyers be your go-to maritime injury lawyers!