The FBI is now investigating after a man fell from his Carnival Cruise stateroom balcony on early Monday morning off the coast of Florida.
A Carnival Cruise Lines spokesperson told Fox News Digital that security video shows a 35-year-old man leaning over the railing of his balcony and falling into the water at 4:10 a.m. on Monday. On late Monday afternoon, his companion reported him missing, according to the spokesperson. According to the U.S. Coast Guard, the man went overboard off the Carnival Magic vessel around 186 miles east of Jacksonville, Florida.
“The U.S. Coast Guard has released the ship from any search and rescue efforts and advised the ship’s captain to continue on its way to Norfolk where it arrived as planned on Tuesday,” the spokesperson added.
The FBI is the lead investigating agency in the incident, a spokesperson for the agency’s Norfolk field office told Fox News Digital.
MAN FALLS FROM CRUISE SHIP OFF FLORIDA COAST: ‘LIFE OF THE PARTY’
Ronnie Lee Peale Jr. (GoFundMe)
“The FBI typically has jurisdiction to investigate incidents on the high seas, and works closely with our partners in law enforcement and in the cruising industry to collect the evidence and facts of cases,” the spokesperson said.
In a statement to Fox News Digital, a spokesperson said that it’s “standard procedure for the FBI to lead any investigation involving a U.S. citizen in international waters.”
The spokesperson added that Carnival Cruise Line’s security team is assisting with the investigation.
According to a now-deactivated GoFundMe created by Jennilyn Blosser, the 35-year-old man is Ronnie Lee Peale Jr., her partner, and said it was his “first cruise.”
CARNIVAL CRUISE SHIP ROCKED BY ROUGH SEAS, SEVERE WEATHER, SHAKING SOME PASSENGERS
Cruise ship Carnival Magic departing Port Canaveral, Florida/ (Education Images/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
“We went on a cruise to celebrate my birthday and sadly he went overboard and still has not been recovered. Please keep our family in your prayers and thanks for your support. This was Ronnie’s first cruise and thankfully he had a great time and made plenty of friends. He is our social butterfly that was always on the move and loved to make friends with everyone,” Blosser wrote.
Blosser said in an interview with WTKR that Peale Jr. is her longtime fiancé.
“He was the life of the party. It just hurts too much to even type, let alone talk about it,” Blosser said. “He loved the cruise life being able to drink, gamble, and socialize put him in his happy place. This was his first cruise and I’m sure he would have been willing to do one monthly.”
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This picture shows the cruiser Carnival Magic, in Dubrovnik on May 20, 2020. (AFP via Getty Images)
The U.S. Coast Guard said on Wednesday afternoon that its crews have searched 5,000 square miles and have spent over 40 hours searching for the man.
