*Update: The Port of Jacksonville (JAXPORT) has reopened, and Carnival Elation departed the port around 6 p.m. on Saturday. The ship is scheduled to arrive in Nassau on Monday.
An incident on St. John River near the Port of Jacksonville, Florida led to the closure of the cruise port this morning. Carnival Elation was delayed in its return and departure.
Carnival Cruise Line’s Brand Ambassador John Heald posted a message on social media, notifying guests that Carnival Elation would be delayed as the ship was returning from a 5-night cruise to The Bahamas.
The port’s closure took place as the United States Coast Guard conducted a search of the area in a rescue operation.
Local news reports stated that a boat with eight people on board capsized by the Dames Point Bridge. Some of the passengers on the small boat were children. Four were rescued while three were still missing and one was found dead.
The age of the individual that passed away has not been disclosed, but Jacksonville Fire Rescue stated that when four individuals were first reported missing, two of them were adults and two were children.
The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office marine unit rescued four individuals that were on top of the overturned vessel, and divers from the unit searched underneath the boat but were not able to locate any people at the time.
Both surface and air assets were used by the sheriff’s office and U.S. Coast Guard to look for the three people that were still missing.
The Coast Guard has just given word that the search for the missing individuals has been suspended.
“We extend our deepest sympathies to the family and loved ones of those missing. Suspending search efforts is an incredibly difficult and heartbreaking decision, made only after an exhaustive and thorough search. We are truly grateful to our partner agencies for their relentless efforts and unwavering support,” Lt. Cmdr. Barton Nanney said in a statement on the incident.
After initial reports, it was confirmed that two of the three missing were children.
The incident occurred where Trout River and St. John’s River intersect, and according to preliminary reports the group was taking pictures of the sunset, and the accident happened around 8 p.m.
What caused the small boat to flip over is still unknown.
Heald stated that the cruise line was monitoring the situation and asked guests not to proceed to the terminal until there was more information. Guests booked on Carnival Elation were asked to sign up for Carnival’s text alert service by texting code CCL1 to CRUISE (which is 278473).
Carnival Elation was scheduled to depart Jacksonville today on a 5-day cruise to Nassau and Half Moon Cay in The Bahamas.
This is the only ship impacted by this incident. In November, Norwegian Cruise Line will also be offering cruises from Jacksonville as well.
As more details are made available this article will be updated.
