New Details Emerge in Disappearance of California Father Who Went Overboard on Anniversary Cruise

Thomas Gigler, left, and his wife Michelle Gigler. Facebook/Michelle Gigler

What began as an anniversary getaway for a California couple ended in a desperate search at sea after 56-year-old Thomas Gigler went overboard from the Carnival Panorama while the ship was returning from Mexico to Southern California.

Gigler, a father of three from Redlands, was traveling with his wife, Michelle, 48, when he disappeared on the final day of the seven-night cruise. The couple had been preparing to celebrate their 15th wedding anniversary on September 23.

On September 22, the U.S. Coast Guard suspended its search for Gigler after more than 41 hours of coordinated operations covering more than 1,707 square miles of the Pacific Ocean. He has not been found, and the circumstances surrounding what led to him going overboard remain unclear.

Passengers Were Ordered Back to Their Cabins

The Gigler family live in Redlands with their three sons. Facebook/Michelle Gigler

Gigler was aboard the Carnival Panorama as it traveled from Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, toward Long Beach, California, when the emergency unfolded.

Lorrie Freed-Silva, a passenger staying on the ninth deck, told The Post that she was in her cabin at around 4:30 p.m. Saturday when an announcement instructed passengers to return to their rooms.

At first, passengers were not told that someone was missing. Instead, they were informed that the crew needed to conduct a passenger count. The announcement was repeated several times.

Freed-Silva said two people she believed were officers later came to her cabin and asked for the names of everyone inside.

About 45 minutes later, passengers were informed that a guest was missing. Roughly 15 minutes after that, another announcement said a man had gone overboard and that security footage had confirmed what happened.

The ship then turned around while crews began searching the surrounding waters.

CCTV Confirmed Gigler Went Overboard

A Carnival Panorama cruise ship is docked in Long Beach, California. AFP via Getty Images

Carnival said its crew launched search and investigation procedures after being notified that a passenger was missing. Those measures included reviewing onboard surveillance footage and notifying both U.S. and Mexican authorities.

The Coast Guard later confirmed that the ship’s cameras captured Gigler going overboard. At the time, the Carnival Panorama was approximately 57 miles from the Mexican coast.

According to the Coast Guard’s account, Gigler had last been seen at approximately 11:30 p.m. Friday, while authorities received the report that he was missing at about 1:30 p.m. Saturday.

The timeline has added important detail to the investigation, but authorities have not publicly explained what happened in the hours between his last known sighting and the discovery that he had gone overboard.

A Massive Search Across the Pacific

Thomas Gigler, far right, is pictured. Facebook/Michelle Gigler

The Coast Guard’s Rescue Coordination Center in Alameda coordinated the search after receiving the missing-person report.

Multiple Coast Guard fixed-wing aircraft were deployed, while officials coordinated with Mexico’s Maritime Rescue Coordination Center and used the Automated Mutual-Assistance Vessel Rescue system to identify vessels that could assist.

A Mexican naval vessel and six additional vessels also participated in the surface search.

Despite the multinational effort, no trace of Gigler was found. The search covered more than 1,707 square miles and continued for over 41 hours before being suspended on September 22, pending new information. The Coast Guard said the investigation remains ongoing.

The Carnival Panorama had departed Long Beach on September 13 for a seven-night Mexican Riviera cruise, stopping in Cabo San Lucas, Mazatlán and Puerto Vallarta before beginning its return journey.

Passengers Created a Memorial at Sea

Thomas Gigler and Michelle Gigler are pictured. Facebook/Michelle Gigler

The disappearance also deeply affected other passengers aboard the ship.

One passenger, Misty Hernandez, shared video showing travelers creating a small memorial for Gigler. Passengers left handwritten messages, prayers, rubber ducks, teddy bears and other tributes for him and his family.

Hernandez described the gathering as a quiet moment in which passengers came together to remember the missing traveler and offer support to those closest to him.

The ship eventually continued toward Long Beach after the search effort at sea.

Family Disputes Claims of Marital Problems

The Carnival Panorama cruise ship is seen in the Pacific Ocean in Los Cabos, Baja California state, Mexico,. AFP via Getty Images

As speculation grew about what might have happened, Gigler’s family rejected a fellow passenger’s claim that he had discussed marital problems at the ship’s Alchemy Bar the night before his disappearance.

His sister, Wendy Dowden, told the Daily Mail that Thomas and Michelle “were getting along quite well.”

The family has said they are struggling to understand why he went overboard. His sister has also suggested that something unexpected may have happened, while authorities and Carnival have not publicly established what prompted the incident.

Gigler had spent 24 years working as a computer programmer for Esri and lived in Redlands with Michelle and their three sons.

For his family, the anniversary trip that was supposed to mark 15 years of marriage has instead become a devastating search for answers. As of September 24, Gigler remains missing, while the Coast Guard’s active search has been suspended pending new information.