Coast Guard continues search for N.Y. woman missing from cruise ship

NASSAU, Bahamas, Sept. 8 (UPI) -- The U.S. Coast Guard continued its search Thursday for a missing New York woman who Carnival Cruise Lines said jumped off one of its ships in the Bahamas this week.

The 32-year-old woman was identified as Rina Patel, who'd been aboard the Carnival Ecstasy and ended up in the water about 15 miles off the Bahamian coast of Freeport a day earlier.

"Early [Wednesday] morning, a 32-year-old female guest was witnessed jumping overboard from the cruise ship Carnival Ecstasy," the cruise line said in a statement. "The company's CareTeam is providing assistance and support to the missing guest's family on board and our thoughts and prayers are with her and family and loved ones during this difficult time."

#BreakingNews #Update Missing from the Carnival Ecstasy is Rina Patel, 32, from Interlaken, New York. Read more at https://t.co/3CHnYnqorv

— USCGSoutheast (@USCGSoutheast) September 7, 2016

The Coast Guard, which has been searching for Patel since Wednesday morning, said she went overboard closer to 30 miles away from the Freeport coast.

The Ecstasy cruise ship arrived in Charleston, S.C., on Thursday.

So far, no sign of Patel has been found.

Officials are still trying to determine whether Patel jumped or fell off the boat's 11th deck. Witnesses said she was wearing a white dress when she went in the water.