14 DAY TRIAL // A young couple have gone missing off the coast of Australia after presumably going overboard while traveling on a Carnival cruise ship.
A massive search mission is underway with several ground and air teams searching for Paul Rossington, 30, and Kristen Schroder, 27.
The pair boarded the Carnival Spirit ship and the crew noticed their absence only after arriving in Sydney. A head count revealed the disappearance and authorities were called in.
According to the Daily Mail, the pair may have gone missing on Wednesday, when they were last seen by other passengers on the vessel.
“This is a tragic event at the moment, but we're holding out hope we might be able to find these people alive,” New South Wales Marine Police inspector Mark Hutchings said in a press conference.
Adelaide Now details that NSW Police, the Westpac Rescue Helicopter, and the Australian Maritime Safety Authority officers are currently working together to find the passengers.
The ship is described as featuring “areas for outdoor fun, including a corkscrew water slide, four swimming pools, a miniature golf course, jogging track and a sport court.”
The couple fell 20 m (65 feet) overboard while enjoying their “10-day Pacific Island” holiday package. The mid-deck area where officials believe they fell from is protected with a 2.5-m (8.2-foot) tall barricade.
About 1,000 sq km (386 sq miles) of sea are currently being scoured in search for the New South Wales couple.
Crew members have pinpointed their approximate location at some 120 km (74.5 miles) off the coast of Forster.
“I've said to my staff it's game on and we're pulling out all the stops to try to find them.
“Staff tell me they may be (alive) so we're going to push hard. There's a chance so we're going to keep looking,” Hutchings adds.