SEARCH OVER
Tragic end as search for cruise ship Brit who plunged 100ft from deck is CALLED OFF after 4 day hunt with planes & boats
Rescuers had been patrolling the wider area of the Vis archipelago, located in the southern Croatian waters
THE frantic search for a missing Brit who plunged 100ft from a cruise ship's deck has been called off.
Air Force planes and boats had been scouring the waters of the Adriatic Sea since the man vanished just four days ago.
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The Brit is believed to be a man on a seven-day cruise trip from Greece to Croatia that began on August 3.
Croatian authorities on Friday said he was on board the Royal Caribbean's Explorer of the Seas ship before going missing.
It is understood the man fell into the Adriatic sea from a height of more than 100ft at around 4.30am local time.
Vessels and planes had since been patrolling the wider area of the Vis archipelago, located in the southern Croatian waters.
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Hopeful rescuers had explained that survival in these conditions was more likely due to the warm water - and vowed not to give up.
Marin Keko, coordinator at the National Center for Coordination of Search and Rescue at Sea, told local outlet : "We don't know the condition of the young man who fell into the sea, but given that he is young, it is possible that he could survive even longer.
"We hope for a positive outcome, we don't want to think negatively at all."
But the search has now been officially ended with no results, the National Rescue Service in Croatia has announced on Monday.
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It comes after Sanjin Dumanic, the president of the Association of Croatian Associations of Sea Captains told national broadcaster HTV that hope was dwindling in the search for the Brit.
Dumanic said: "Since the man has been in the sea for over 40 hours, we are already losing hope.
"We would all like him to be found, but 40 hours is a very long time and we are losing hope that this search will end successfully."
Radovan Linić, coordinator at the National Center for Coordination of Search and Rescue at Sea, said that the man could also have injured himself after plunging from the vessel's decks.
Linić said: "The man fell into the sea from a height of more than 30 meters, maybe there was an injury during the fall.
"Since the temperature of the sea is 24 degrees, this allows us to extend the search to at least 12 hours and more.
"Survival in these conditions is more than 12 hours, and the search takes twice as long, at least 24 hours."
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