A 32-year-old man was seen jumping from a cabin balcony off the cruise ship Carnival Liberty early Friday when the vessel was about 10 miles northwest of the Berry Islands, in The Bahamas, officials said.

Reco Scott of Decatur, Ga., went overboard about 4:53 a.m., the cruise line said.

The Carnival Liberty turned around, began its own search and notified the U.S. Coast Guard, which sent a helicopter and the cutter Charles David Jr. to look for Scott, the cruise line and Coast Guard said.

Early Friday afternoon, the Coast Guard released the Liberty to resume course for Nassau, a Carnival Cruise Lines spokeswoman said.

Well continue to search as long as we think we can find him alive, said Petty Officer Eric Woodall.

Liberty departed Port Canaveral on Thursday and has one scheduled port of call, to Nassau. It will stay there overnight Friday and before sailing back to Port Canaveral.

LJTrischitta@sunsentinel.com, 954-356-4233 or Twitter @LindaTrischitta

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Cruise ship passenger missing off the Bahamas - Sun Sentinel