The search for a missing 76-year-old British man has been suspended according to the Spanish Coast Guard. The man, who has not been identified, went overboard from Marella Explorer 2 at approximately 9:45 a.m. on November 27.
A spokesperson from the Spanish Coast Guard told The Sun, “the active search involving the resources that were put in place on Thursday and Friday has been scaled down.” The spokesperson said boats in the area will continue to look for the man.
Unfortunately, the man is unlikely to be found given he has been missing for over four days.
The man was reportedly seen going overboard during breakfast. The ship’s captain immediately activated the ship’s man-overboard protocol and alerted the Spanish Coast Guard at 9:48 a.m. local time. The ship changed course and began a search and rescue operation.
Based on The Cruise Globe, the Marella Explorer 2 stopped its rescue operation at around 2:30 p.m. EST (7:30 p.m. local time) and continued on its scheduled voyage.
TUI Group, the owner of Marella Cruises, told PEOPLE, “We are deeply saddened to confirm that a guest was seen entering the water while the ship was on passage to La Gomera. Our thoughts are with the individual and their loved ones during this difficult time,”
The events leading up to the man going overboard are not clear at this time, but Spanish authorities are not treating the incident as a crime.
Last week, an Australian man died after going overboard from the Disney Dream.