There is some confusion about who went overboard on the Carnival Triumph on March 17 as the cruise ship sailed near the coast of Mexico.
Early reports were that a child had gone overboard. Later reports seemed to dismiss that and point to a 54 year old male passenger going overboard.
Reports are also cloudy as to whether the Carnival Triumph was engaged in search and rescue operations or if smaller rescue boats were deployed. Other reports tell of Mexican authorities also engaged in a search and rescue operation.
If true, this is the 2nd passenger overboard on a Carnival Cruise Ship within the last 10 days as a Virginia Tech student went over the railing aboard the Carnival Glory on March 8, 2015.
Questions remain about what role cruise lines have in engaging passenger overboard alert systems that could better help in the detection of and rescue of overboard passengers.