Tragedy at Sea: Carnival Panorama Overboard Passenger Identified as Father of Three

On Saturday, September 19, 2026, a 56-year-old male passenger jumped from the Carnival Panorama while the ship was sailing off the coast of Mexico.

The passenger has been identified as Thomas Gigler, a 56-year-old computer programmer from Redlands, California, and father of three. He was traveling with his wife, Michelle, 48, and their three sons (ages 13, 11, and 9) on what was meant to be a celebration ahead of the couple’s 15th wedding anniversary.

Passengers on board were first startled by an announcement for everyone to return to their cabins for a head count. Someone was missing. Later, CCTV footage confirmed that Gigler had jumped from the 4,000-guest vessel, reportedly from the 11th deck.

Carnival Cruise Line confirmed the details to several news outlets, including TMZ:

“Carnival Cruise Line confirmed Saturday that a male guest aboard Carnival Panorama jumped overboard while the ship was sailing from Puerto Vallarta, Mexico to Long Beach, California.”

The cruise line stated that after being notified a guest was missing, the crew reviewed CCTV footage and alerted both the U.S. and Mexico Coast Guards.

“Carnival is providing support to the family who was traveling with the guest, and our thoughts and prayers are with them and their loved ones.”

The 133,500-gross-ton ship was on the final full day of a 7-night Mexican Riviera cruise that had departed Long Beach, California, on September 13.

It left Puerto Vallarta on September 17 and was traveling north along Mexico’s Baja California peninsula when the incident occurred. The U.S. Coast Guard later reported the man went overboard approximately 50 miles off the Baja California coast.

How Events Unfolded

Michelle Gigler searched for her husband and asked guest services to page him around 10:30 AM after she could not locate him. Ship announcements seeking the missing passenger began about 11:00 AM and continued for hours, with Gigler’s name broadcast over the public address system.

Guests were later told to return to their staterooms for a headcount. One passenger, Misty Hernandez, shared on Facebook that she was on her first cruise and found the situation unsettling, noting that the ship had turned around and was heading back toward Puerto Vallarta.

According to passenger accounts and tracking data from The Cruise Globe, the ship started to turn around and reversed course around 2:00–3:00 PM Pacific Time to search the surrounding waters.

The ship then resumed its northbound route to Long Beach at about 4:30 PM.

Tracking data showed the turn taking place almost 200 miles south of Ensenada.

Passengers described a lockdown lasting roughly an hour while security conducted cabin-by-cabin checks and scanned key cards. A crew announcement later confirmed that CCTV footage showed the guest had gone overboard and that local authorities would continue the search and rescue.

Status and Response

Thomas Gigler, who spent 24 years working as a computer programmer for Esri, is presumed dead. U.S. and Mexican Coast Guard teams, along with fixed-wing aircraft and nearby commercial vessels, continue searching the area off Baja California.

The Carnival Panorama returned to Long Beach on Sunday, September 20, as scheduled.

Carnival continues offering support to the Gigler family.

We at Cruise Fever also offer our deepest condolences and prayers to Michelle, their three sons, and the entire family during this tragic time.

*This article has been updated with new information since its original time of publication.