Add The California Post on Google The US Coast Guard has suspended its search for a California father of three who went overboard from a cruise ship during an anniversary trip.
Thomas Gigler, 56, vanished from the Carnival Panorama Saturday as the ship sailed approximately 57 miles off the coast of Mexico.
The Redlands man had been aboard the ship with his wife, Michelle, 48, and three sons as the couple celebrated their 15th wedding anniversary.
The Coast Guard said it was suspending the search Wednesday pending new information after crews spent more than 41 hours scouring 1,707 square miles of ocean without finding any sign of Gigler.
A Mexican Navy boat and six good Samaritan vessels also joined the effort to find the missing passenger.
“Our deepest condolences go out to the family and loved ones of Mr. Tom Gigler,” said Capt. Jessica Davila, chief of incident management for the Coast Guard Southwest District.
“Decisions to suspend search operations are never easy and are made with careful consideration of all available information. Our hearts are with those impacted by his loss.”
The Coast Guard’s Rescue Coordination Center in Alameda received the initial report of a missing passenger at about 1:30 p.m. Saturday, after the cruise ship reported that Gigler was last seen at approximately 11:30 p.m. Friday.
Multiple Coast Guard fixed-wing aircraft were launched to search for him, while officials coordinated with Mexico’s Maritime Rescue Coordination Center and the Automated Mutual-Assistance Vessel Rescue system to locate nearby ships that could assist.
Gigler, a computer programmer who worked for Esri for 24 years, was traveling with his family on the Carnival Panorama as it made its way from Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, toward Long Beach.
The family lives in Redlands, about 63 miles east of Los Angeles.
Carnival previously confirmed that a male passenger had gone overboard and said the ship’s crew immediately began search and investigation procedures, including reviewing surveillance footage and notifying US and Mexican authorities.
The Coast Guard’s decision to suspend the search came after an extensive search of the area with no sightings of Gigler.
In determining whether to continue a search, the Coast Guard considers factors including the amount of time that has passed, environmental conditions and the likelihood that a person could still survive in the water.
The agency also uses its Probability of Survival Decision Aid, or PSDA, a computer model developed by the US Army Research Institute of Environmental Medicine to help estimate survival times for people exposed to cold-water conditions, as part of search-and-rescue planning.
The Coast Guard says the model provides guidance rather than an absolute prediction and is used alongside other information available to rescuers.
After more than 41 hours of searching and no sightings, Gigler remains missing and is presumed dead. His family has yet to make any public statements.
It is also unclear why Gigler made the leap. The Coast Guard said the search could be revisited if new information becomes available.
Experts say leaping into cold ocean water immediately triggers cold shock (gasping and heart spikes), ten minutes in cause cold incapacitation (muscle paralysis), and roughly an hour leads to severe hypothermia.
Survival without protective gear in water under 40°F (4°C) ranges from under 15 to 45 minutes, while warmer waters between 50°F and 60°F (10°C–15°C) can extend survival to 1–6 hours, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
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