Samantha Broberg and her husband, Karl Broberg. (Facebook)
The U.S. Coast Guard has suspended its search for a missing Texas woman who fell from a Carnival cruise ship in the Gulf of Mexico.
Samantha Broberg, 33, went overboard at about noon on May 13, the Coast Guard said in a press release.
“Based on the video analysis, we can confirm that it appears she climbed up and sat on a deck railing and subsequently fell backwards,” Carnival spokeswoman Jennifer De La Cruz told ABC News.
The Carnival Liberty ship was about 200 miles southeast of Galveston, Texas, in the Gulf of Mexico.
Broberg is the wife of Karl Broberg, the top Thoroughbred horse trainer in the U.S., according to Thoroughbred Daily News. He was not on the ship.
Here’s what you need to know:
1. Video Shows Broberg Falling From the Ship’s 10th Deck at About 2 A.M., Carnival Says
A video shows Samantha Broberg falling from the Carnival Liberty cruise ship’s 10th deck at about 2 a.m. Friday, May 13, according to a Coast Guard press release.
Broberg had been reported missing at about noon. After a search of the ship, the Carnival crew contacted the Coast Guard at about 5 p.m. Friday, “after it was confirmed that she had fallen overboard,” the press release said.
Passenger says this is the 10th deck railing Broberg fell from Carnival Liberty Cruiseship(on the other side)@KPRC2
The search for Broberg entered its third day on Sunday.
“Coast Guard HC-144 Ocean Sentry airplane crews from Coast Guard Aviation Training Center Mobile, Alabama, and Air Station Corpus Christi, Texas, have alternated sorties since beginning the search, saturating a 22 by 63 nautical mile area with a combined search area total of more than 3,000 square miles,” the press release said.
On Monday, the Coast Guard said it has suspended its search.
The FBI is assisting in the investigation into her disappearance, KPRC-TV reports.
FBI now part of investigation in Samantha Broberg’s disappearance on @CarnivalCruise Liberty @KPRC2
But Carnival said no foul play is suspected and denied rumors that a knife had been found alongside a blood stain near where Broberg fell.
Passenger:Blood stain found near where Broberg went overboard and knife found in trash nearby.Area roped off. @KPRC2
“There is no foul play suspected. Your photo merely shows a spill on the deck. No knife found,” Carnival PR tweeted. “FBI notification and review is standard procedure in situations like this. Again, there is no foul play suspected.”
2. The Ship Left Galveston on Thursday for a 4-Day Cruise in the Gulf of Mexico
The Carnival Liberty Cruise ship in 2006. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
The Carnival Liberty cruise ship left Galveston, Texas, on Thursday for a scheduled four-day trip in the Gulf of Mexico, ABC News reports. The ship had left the port about 10 hours before Broberg fell overboard.
The Liberty ship is based in Galveston year-round, according to Carnival.
According to the cruise line’s website, the 952-foot ship has a guest capacity of 2,974 and has 1,160 onboard crew.
You can see the ship’s deck plans here.
BREAKING: Carnival Liberty arriving in Galveston now. Passenger Samantha Broberg, 33, fell overboard on Friday.
The ship returned to Galveston on Monday.
3. She Lives in Arlington With Her Husband & 4 Children
Samantha Broberg and her mother. (Facebook)
Samantha Stogner Broberg lives in Arlington, Texas, with her husband, Karl Broberg, and is a stay-at-home mother to her four children, relatives told the Houston Chronicle.
Her family said in a statement, “We are shocked and deeply saddened by the incident that occurred on the Carnival Cruise Ship. We hope and pray the U.S. Coast Guard is able to bring Samantha home. We ask for privacy as our family comes together during this difficult time.”
Broberg’s husband, Karl, 45, has the most wins of any Thoroughbred trainer in the U.S. this year, according to Thoroughbred Daily News.
4. The Ship’s Crew Searched the Room by Room, Passengers Say
(Facebook)
Passengers on the ship said the crew searched room by room, making sure all passengers were accounted for, and made announcements asking for Broberg to contact security. Her photo was also posted on the ship with a message for anyone who had seen her to contact the crew.
“They wanted to check every single room to make sure that every guest was in their room. They were just keeping up updated like ‘we have not found her,'” passenger Linda Lopez told KTRK-TV. “People are talking about it everywhere. They’re very sad.”
Jo Trizila, of Dallas, told KXAS-TV, “Our steward came into our room, checked the closets, checked the bathroom, looked under the bed looked out on our balcony. I mean, they did a very thorough search. We knew it wasn’t going to end well when the last few updates the announcer said, ‘Would you please just keep this family in your thoughts and prayers.'”
A passenger on the ship posted on the Cruise Critic website’s message board on Friday at about 3:30 p.m., “For the past two hours they have been paging a passenger every 5-10 mins. Has anyone experienced this before on a cruise? They are now paging all guests asking if anyone has seen her recently to call security. We have seen several security personnel walking around as well. I certainly hope she is ok.”
The poster said all passengers were told to go to their cabins until further notice.
Announcements also said, “if you can hear my voice, you aren’t in trouble. Just let us know you are OK. The whole crew is looking for you and we are worried…”
5. Carnival Says It Is ‘Providing Support’ to Broberg’s ‘Traveling Companions & Family’
(Facebook)
Carnival issued a statement confirming that Broberg was missing.
“Carnival’s CareTeam is providing support to the guest’s traveling companions and family. We are keeping our guest and her loved ones in our thoughts during this difficult time,” Carnival siad.
It is not known who Broberg was traveling with.
