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Woman dies after going overboard from the cruise ship Pacific Explorer

Submitted by kgnadmin on

The search for a 23-year-old woman who went overboard from a cruise ship off the coast of Australia ended on Wednesday after her body was located by the Australian Maritime Safety Authority.

A major search operation was launched after the crew aboard the Pacific Explorer operated by P&O Cruises Australia reported the passenger missing on Tuesday at about midnight. The ship was located waround 70 kilometers (43 miles) out to sea from Cape Jaffa in South Australia state when the MOB announcement was made.

Authorities launched a rescue plane overnight along with two helicopters at daybreak. SA Police said they found the woman's body in the water just before 7 a.m.

The Pacific Explorer, which can accommodate some 2,000 guests, set sail from Melbourne on Tuesday on a 4-night roundtrip voyage bound for Kangaroo Island, South Australia.

A Carnival Australia spokesperson said that the death also “deeply impacted” other passengers and the crew.

“We continue to provide care and assistance to the family member this guest was traveling with and extend our deepest condolences to their loved ones,” Carnival Australia said in a statement. “We thank all involved who supported this distressing and challenging search operation,” the company said.

P&O Cruises Australia said the ship's scheduled visit to Kangaroo Island was canceled and that police authority will conduct an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the tragedy.