The moment an elderly man fell 25 metres from a cruise ship was caught on CCTV.
The search for the 84-year-old passenger overboard the cruise ship in the Tasman Sea was called off this afternoon.
CCTV footage from the Sun Princess showed the man falling 25 metres into the water, the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) said.
The AMSA ended the search for the man after expert medical advice suggested he could not survive falling overboard.
The Sun Princess was now returning to Sydney.
The man went overboard the Sun Princess about 10.40pm NZT yesterday at a point about 320km east of Sydney.
The ship turned back this morning but there was no sign of the man.
AMSA also sent a Dornier search and rescue aircraft to the search area.
"There have been no sightings of the man during the search," AMSA said this afternoon.
"Expert medical advice received by AMSA indicated the man was very unlikely to have survived when he entered the water given the height. The advice also indicated that the man would not have been able to survive in the water...given his age, clothing and weather conditions at the time of the incident," AMSA said.
"Sea conditions in the area were rough with swells up to three metres.
"In consultation with the Master of the Sun Princess, the operating company and the next of kin, the search effort has concluded."
- John Weekes of NZME. News Service
