Overview
- Ship crew and CCTV footage confirmed a male passenger went overboard from the Carnival Panorama during the return voyage from Puerto Vallarta toward Long Beach.
- The man was later identified as 56-year-old Thomas Gigler of Redlands, California, who was traveling with his wife and three young sons on an anniversary cruise.
- The U.S. Coast Guard coordinated fixed-wing aircraft, Mexican naval vessels and commercial ships in a search that covered about 1,700 square miles over roughly 41 hours before suspending active operations.
- Gigler is now presumed dead after no trace was found, and Carnival says it is providing support to the family while authorities continue investigative and notification steps.
- Family members say Gigler had no known history of mental illness and they do not know why he went overboard, leaving relatives and passengers seeking answers about the circumstances.