A search operation has ended after a crew member reportedly fell overboard from a cruise ship in the English Channel.
RNLI and coastguard crews raced to an area off the Kent coast following reports a member of the crew had gone overboard from the German AIDAperla.The ship was making its way from Hamburg in Germany to Las Palmas in the Canary Islands.
The Coastguard, which was alerted at about 8.55am, confirmed that the search operation ended at 6pm on Sunday.
AIDA Cruises said its thoughts were "with the family of the missing person and his colleagues".
"In addition, we are in close contact with his family and the AIDAperla crew," it said.
AIDA said the vessel was "released from the search operation after dark and resumed its journey towards La Coruña" in north west Spain.
A Coastguard spokesperson previously said: “HM Coastguard is co-ordinating the search for a man reported overboard from a passenger ship off Ramsgate on October 22.
“HM Coastguard was alerted at about 8.55am.
“The HM Coastguard search and rescue helicopter was sent from Lydd alongside a Coastguard fixed-wing aircraft and the RNLI’s all-weather lifeboats from Ramsgate and Dover.”
