Thomas Gigler, Carnival cruise passenger on wedding anniversary trip to wife, Michelle, jumps from 11th floor deck of the Carnival Panorama cruise ship as authorities continue searching for the missing dad of 3, now presumed dead in waters between Mexico and Long Beach.
A Carnival cruise passenger who went overboard over the weekend has been identified as a 56-year-old California father of three on a wedding anniversary trip.
Thomas Gigler, was celebrating his wedding anniversary to his wife Michelle, 48, when the dad of three young sons jumped off the Carnival Panorama cruise ship on Saturday.
The computer programmer, who spent 24 years working for Esri, is believed to have gone off the 11th deck as it traveled from Mexico towards Long Beach.
Missing cruise passenger’s sister denies dad of 3 having marital problems
The man’s family raised the alarm after the father of three could not be found. Authorities continue to search for Gigler, who is presumed dead.
The US and Mexican Coast Guards continued searching the area, with the Coast Guard conducting aerial searches while the Mexican Navy and nearby commercial vessels also joined the effort.
The episode has left Gigler’s family struggling to understand what happened. His sister, Wendy Dowden, challenged a fellow passenger’s claim that he had spoken about problems in his marriage during a conversation at the ship’s Alchemy Bar the night before his disappearance.
History of mental illness?
Dowden told the Daily Mail that her brother and Michelle ‘were getting along quite well,’ rejecting the suggestion that marital problems had driven him to jump.
Instead, his family believes something unexpected may have happened to Gigler shortly before he went overboard.
‘We think something must have happened in his head. He wasn’t in his right mind to have done this,’ Dowden told the dailymail.
The family said Gigler had no known history of mental illness. The couple lived with their three sons in Redlands, California, about 64 miles east of Los Angeles.
Search efforts continue for missing cruise passenger (now presumed dead)
A video shared on Facebook (see directly above) by another passenger aboard the ship captured an announcement to those on board about the ongoing search.
‘We have yet to locate the missing guest. Our fleet operation in Miami and appropriate authorities have been notified,’ a cruise official appears to say in the video.
‘In the meantime, we continue for the family and friends. Our search efforts continue and we will keep you informed. Thank you again for the cooperation.’
The announcement appeared to ask passengers for their continued cooperation as the cruise line coordinated with authorities and continued searching for the missing passenger.
Another video shared to Facebook by passenger Misty Hernandez showed fellow passengers coming together to remember the man, with a small memorial display covered with handwritten messages, prayers and other tributes for his family and friends.
Authorities continue to investigate.
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