A man went missing from a Carnival cruise ship in the Gulf of Mexico. What happened next might well be a 'Thanksgiving miracle' - CNN

(CNN) — In the archetypal hours aft the Carnival Valor acceptable sail from New Orleans connected Thanksgiving eve, a member and sister acceptable disconnected for a spot apropos of a vacation mood: They headed to an onboard bar.

Predictably, the antheral astatine 1 constituent stepped distant to usage the restroom.

But helium didn't travel back.

Hours passed.

He wasn't successful his stateroom.

The 28-year-old had, rather simply, vanished.

What happened adjacent has astonished astatine slightest 1 seasoned mariner who, with hours of hindsight, declared the stunning result dissimilar thing he's ever witnessed -- and thing abbreviated of "one of those Thanksgiving miracles."

A hunt is launched by aerial and sea

It was astir 11 p.m. erstwhile her member walked off, the sister recalled, Carnival spokesperson Matt Lupoli told CNN connected Thursday successful a statement.

At noon the adjacent time -- Thanksgiving Day -- she reported him missing, the connection said. Officials haven't identified either one.

Announcements echoed done the vessel for the missing rider to cheque successful with impermanent services, rider Mike Anderson CNN connected Thursday, and radical "noticed information starting to hunt the vessel with a photograph of the missing (passenger) successful their phones."

At astir 2 p.m., a last check-in petition was issued, helium said.

Passengers were told the accomplishment clip to their larboard of telephone successful Cozumel, Mexico, would beryllium delayed, Anderson said, but nary authoritative announcement went retired astir what had happened.

The ship, helium said, past turned around.

"Carnival Valor retraced its way to enactment the hunt and rescue," Lupoli explained.

Then astir 2:30 p.m., the Coast Guard got a telephone from the ship, Coast Guard Lt. Phillip VanderWeit said successful a statement.

A cruise rider was missing.

Soon, a multi-crew hunt for the antheral -- by aerial and by oversea -- was underway, helium said.

A 200-mile portion and a captious mission

An alert went retired to each mariners successful the gulf, and the Coast Guard "launched each disposable resources," Lt. Seth Gross, a hunt and rescue coordinator for the USCG told CNN connected Friday morning.

That included a tiny vessel from Venice, Florida, a chopper based successful New Orleans and airplanes from Clearwater, Florida, and Mobile, Alabama, helium said.

The hunt extended much than 200 miles successful the gulf, Gross said, adding the h2o somesthesia determination Thursday nighttime was conscionable supra 70 degrees -- and somewhat colder successful the Mississippi River.

Given the clip quality betwixt erstwhile the antheral was past seen and erstwhile the Coast Guard was alerted, "we knew that connection with the mariners successful the Gulf of Mexico was going to beryllium critical," Gross said.

The ngo intensified.

About 20 miles southbound of Southwest Pass, Louisiana, the unit of bulk bearer CRINIS was scanning the water, the Coast Guard said Friday successful a quality release.

Then, astir 8:25 p.m., they spotted something.

'Unlike thing I've been portion of'

It was the man.

A Coast Guard MH-60 Jayhawk chopper aircrew retired of New Orleans headed to the spot -- and "hoisted the antheral onto the helicopter," VanderWeit said.

And helium was responsive, USCG Petty Officer Ryan Graves said.

The 28-year-old had fallen overboard, the bureau aboriginal said.

Rescuers haven't been capable to find however agelong helium was successful the water, Gross told "CNN This Morning" -- but it could person been much than 15 hours.

If it was that long, it's "the implicit longest that I've heard astir -- and conscionable 1 of those Thanksgiving miracles," helium said.

In his 17-year career, "this lawsuit is dissimilar thing I've been a portion of," Gross said. "I deliberation it benignant of blows the norm, the normalcy, retired of the h2o here, and truly conscionable shows the volition to unrecorded is thing that you request to relationship for successful each search-and-rescue case."

"If not for the alert unit aboard the centrifugal vas CRINIS, this lawsuit could person had a overmuch much hard ending," helium said successful the quality release. "It took a full squad effort from Coast Guard watchstanders, effect crews, and our nonrecreational maritime partners operating successful the Gulf of Mexico to find the missing idiosyncratic and get him to safety."

The rescued antheral was transferred to awaiting exigency aesculapian unit astatine New Orleans Lakefront Airport, Graves said.

He's being evaluated astatine a hospital, Gross said, and was reported successful unchangeable information precocious Friday greeting by the Coast Guard.

Back aboard the Carnival Valor, an announcement Thursday evening implicit the PA strategy informed guests determination had been a man-overboard incident, Anderson said.

The ship, though, had been released from the search, Anderson recalled hearing, and again was sailing toward Cozumel.

CNN's Melissa Alonso, Dave Alsup, Amanda Jackson, Jose Lesh and Theresa Waldrop contributed to this report.