Two Passengers Vanish from Carnival Spirit

Update: Australian authorities called off the search for the two missing passengers after scouring hundreds of miles of water and coastline.

Late Friday afternoon, New South Wales police said they called off the search after finding no sign of the couple. The search, involving an Australian navy ship, the police force's marine unit and the Australian Maritime Safety Authority, covered 1,360 square nautical miles.

Local authorities have launched an extensive search operation after two cruise ship passengers went missing overnight off the east coast of Australia.

The young couple, a 30-year-old male and 26-year-old woman, was reported missing when the Carnival Spirit docked in Sydney on Thursday morning. The first sign of alarm came when they didn't claim their luggage.

Police have examined the onboard security videos and have preliminarily determined that the couple went overboard about 93 miles off Foster, New South Wales. They were believed to be up mid-deck, which is halfway up the side of the ship – a long way to fall. Despite the 135 mile distance from Foster to Sydney, rescuers remain optimistic.

The two were sharing a cabin on a 10-day Pacific Island cruise with family and friends.

These developments are the latest in a series of high-profile incidents involving Carnival Cruise Line.