Fears for a man who jumped off a Carnival cruise ship just hours after a fellow passenger died

By ZAK WHEELER, NEWS REPORTER, AUSTRALIA Published: 09:42, 18 April 2026 | Updated: 09:42, 18 April 2026 A desperate search and rescue is underway after a passenger jumped off a Carnival Splendor cruise ship. Emergency crews are still scouring the waters after a man in his 70s fell into the ocean 30km northeast of Moreton Island, near Brisbane, on Friday night. The Australian Maritime Safety Authority is handling the operation with assistance from Queensland Police. The department currently has five rescue helicopters, six surface vessels and its Cairns and Melbourne-based Challenger jets looking for the man. Rescue teams were first contacted by the Master of Carnival Splendor after the man had jumped into the ocean.  The rescue operation comes just hours after a Tasmanian woman, 67, from the same ship drowned during a stopover near the shipwrecks at Moreton Island. The woman had been snorkeling when she ran into trouble and despite efforts by an off-duty lifesaver who pulled her to shore, she died at the scene. A report is now being prepared for the coroner. A desperate rescue operation is currently underway after a man jumped overboard and into the waters off the Carnival Splendor cruise ship on Friday This follows the death of another passenger on board who drowned while snorkelling off Moreton Island hours earlier  The two incidents are not believed to be related  The cruise line is currently assisting authorities with their rescue of the man who, a spokeswoman said, 'climbed over the safety railing and jumped overboard'. 'The male guest was travelling with family who alerted the ship's crew of a possible missing person, and a review of the CCTV footage confirmed the guest's action,' a Carnival Cruise Line spokeswoman told the Courier Mail.  'All appropriate authorities have been alerted and Carnival will assist authorities in their investigation upon the ship's return to Sydney. 'Carnival's Care Team is supporting the guest's family and our thoughts and prayers are with them and their loved one.' Another spokesperson told the publication that the company was saddened by the death of its female passenger and that her family had been offered support. The two incidents are not believed to be related, and the search for the man remains ongoing. Daily Mail contacted Carnival Splendor and the Australian Maritime Safety Authority for more information.   No comments have so far been submitted. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline. To do this we will link your MailOnline account with your Facebook account. We’ll ask you to confirm this for your first post to Facebook. You can choose on each post whether you would like it to be posted to Facebook. Your details from Facebook will be used to provide you with tailored content, marketing and ads in line with our Privacy Policy.