ST. JOHN'S, N.L. — The Queen Mary 2 called off the search for a crew member late Saturday after he went overboard off the coast of Newfoundland.
Cunard cruise line said the search for the 26-year-old man was abandoned after an extensive search was conducted in the area roughly 750 kilometres east of St. John's, N.L.
"Having discussed this with experts ashore there is no possibility that the crew member could have survived this long in the water and we therefore have to presume that he died in the water," Cunard said in a statement.
"Our thoughts and prayers are with his family, which is being informed, as well as friends and his colleagues on board."
The company has not released the name, occupation or nationality of the missing crew member.
Search and rescue officials have said the man did not report for duty onboard the Queen Mary 2 early Saturday.
They said a search was conducted onboard the ship and when the man wasn't found, search and rescue officials were asked to look for the man at sea.
A passenger, Konstantin Binder, tweeted that Capt. Kevin Oprey turned the ship around at 10:40 a.m. Saturday.
The tweets suggest it took several hours from that time to return to the search area. Passengers were later called on deck and asked to look as Oprey said "every pair of eyes helps." Conditions were foggy, hampering the search.
"There are now hundreds of passengers and crew members on Deck 7 and on the balconies keeping an eye out," Binder tweeted.
Hours later, Binder said the search had failed.
"The ship is turning again," he tweeted. "We're heading towards Canada. What a sad day. A man has lost his life. RIP."
The ship was travelling from Southampton to New York. It is due to stop in Halifax on Monday.
Christened in 2004, the ship is 345 metres long, has 19 decks and carries 2,620 passengers.
Described by Cunard as "wonderfully grand," the ship boasts the largest dance floor at sea, a luxurious 3D cinema, a planetarium and a classical music venue.
