Coast Guard suspends search for 77-year-old woman who went overboard from a cruise ship

MIAMI (AP) — The U.S. Coast Guard has suspended its search for a 77-year-old woman who went overboard on a cruise ship near Cuba on New Year’s Day.

Crews searched for eight hours over 690 square miles (1,787 square kilometers) for the woman, whose name had not been made public, the Coast Guard said. She was aboard the Holland America Line cruise ship Nieuw Statendam when she went overboard Thursday, about 40 miles (64 kilometers) northeast of Sabana, Cuba. Details about how the woman went overboard were not immediately available.

The Coast Guard said it had deployed helicopters and a large vessel called a cutter to help with the search.

“Our family assistance team is supporting the guest’s family, and our thoughts are with the guest’s loved ones during this difficult time,” Holland America Line said in a statement.

The ship departed from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, last Saturday for a seven-day cruise in the eastern Caribbean. It was scheduled to dock Friday in Key West, Florida, but the stop was canceled because of the search, the cruise line said.