The Coast Guard suspended its search Thursday night for a 23-year-old man who fell off a Carnival Victory cruise ship earlier this week.
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Brandon Paul from Floral City went missing in the Gulf near Cuba this week after he fell from the eighth deck of the cruise ship around 3 a.m. Wednesday.
Rescue crews searched for more than 16 hours covering 3,469 square miles.
The Coast Guard suspended its search Thursday at 7:31 p.m.
“Our thoughts and prayers go out to the family and friends of Brandon Paul,” said Chris Eddy, search and rescue mission coordinator, Seventh Coast Guard District Command Center. “Making the choice to suspend a search is never an easy decision and one the Coast Guard doesn’t take lightly, and despite our best efforts, we were unable to reunite Paul with his family.”