Carnival Cruise Passenger Goes Missing As Ship Returns to Florida Port

A 26-year-old Carnival cruise passenger was reported missing by family Monday after the ship returned to its Florida port.

Kevin McGrath was last seen in his cabin early Monday morning as the Carnival Conquest returned to Miami, the cruise line said in a statement. Relatives said he “was supposed to meet the family for breakfast prior to disembarking from the ship but he never arrived.”

Carnival said in a statement that an extensive search was conducted by ship staff and security but McGrath could not be found on board.

Following that, the Coast Guard was contacted to search the surrounding waters, but he was not found.

“The U.S. Coast Guard was contacted and completed a helicopter search of the water in the general vicinity and Miami-Dade police officers came on board to investigate,” the cruise line said. “The guest was not detected by surveillance systems, including U.S. Customs and Border Patrol during the debarkation process. Miami-Dade police eventually cleared the ship to sail. The Carnival Care Team is supporting the guest’s family.”

Relatives say they don’t believe McGrath got off the ship beforehand since his mother still had his ID and birth certificate, Local 10 News reports.

McGrath was last seen wearing a black T-shirt, black shorts and gray sneakers. Authorities describe him as being 5′ 9″, weighing 170 pounds, and having brown hair and brown eyes.

Anyone with information on his whereabouts is urged to contact the Miami-Dade police special victims bureau/missing persons squad at 305-715-3300 or Crime Stoppers of Miami-Dade & the Florida Keys either online or at 305-471-8477 (TIPS).

🚨 #MISSING: Kevin McGrath, 26 years old, was last seen in the area of Port of Miami 1015 North America Way. The missing person may be in need of services. Anyone with information is urged to contact @CrimeStopper305 at (305) 471-8477 or by dialing **TIPS. pic.twitter.com/pmAAMpgSgM

— Miami-Dade Police (@MiamiDadePD) September 5, 2023