by Donald Wood
Last updated: 3:15 PM ET, Wed September 7, 2016
On Wednesday, the United States Coast Guard began searching for a 32-year-old woman who reportedly fell overboard of a Carnival Cruise Line ship near the Bahamas.
According to ABCNews.com, the unidentified woman was seen by crew members at around 2:30 a.m. local time on the Carnival Ecstasy falling overboard. A Carnival spokesperson also said other witnesses claim the woman jumped from the ship.
Coast Guard officials said the cruise ship was about 15 miles away from Grand Bahama Island when the incident took place. The ship was en route from Nassau, Bahamas, to Charleston, South Carolina.
The Coast Guard has dispatched air and boat rescue crews to search the area for the woman, who authorities say was wearing a white dress with pink floral. The Carnival Ecstasy will continue its journey to South Carolina Thursday as the Coast Guard handles the search and rescue operation.
"The company's CareTeam is providing assistance and support to the missing guest's family on board and our thoughts and prayers are with her and family and loved ones during this difficult time," Carnival Cruise Line said in a statement.
A passenger falling overboard is not a common occurrence and the numbers are on the decline, according to a study from the Cruise Lines International Association. In total, the number of people who went overboard declined from 23 passengers in 2009 to just 12 in 2013.
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