CALIFORNIA DAD THOMAS GIGLER, 56, DISAPPEARS OVERBOARD FROM CRUISE SHIP DURING 15TH ANNIVERSARY TRIP

A California father of three disappeared from a cruise ship while traveling with his wife and children — just days before the couple were due to celebrate their 15th wedding anniversary.

Thomas Gigler, 56, of Redlands, California, went overboard from the Carnival Panorama on September 19 while the ship was sailing from Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, toward Long Beach, California.

Despite an extensive search involving U.S. and Mexican authorities, Gigler has not been found.

FAMILY CRUISE TURNS INTO A NIGHTMARE

Gigler was traveling with his wife, Michelle, 48, and their three sons, ages 13, 11 and 9, aboard the seven-night Carnival Panorama cruise.

The trip had been planned as a family vacation and was taking place only days before Thomas and Michelle’s 15th wedding anniversary on September 23.

The Carnival Panorama had departed Long Beach on September 13 and traveled to destinations in Mexico before beginning its return journey to California.

But on the final day of the voyage, Michelle realized that her husband was missing and alerted the ship’s crew.

CCTV CONFIRMED HE WENT OVERBOARD

Carnival employees launched a search of the vessel and reviewed surveillance footage.

Passengers were temporarily instructed to remain in their cabins while crew members conducted checks throughout the ship.

After reviewing the ship’s man-overboard cameras, Carnival confirmed that Gigler had gone overboard.

The cruise line notified both the U.S. Coast Guard and Mexican authorities, while the vessel continued to assist with the investigation and search.

A passenger aboard the ship recalled hearing announcements asking everyone to return to their rooms while crew members searched the vessel.

Another passenger told The Independent that, after the CCTV review, the captain announced that the missing passenger had gone overboard and that the ship would continue cooperating with authorities.

SEARCH COVERED MORE THAN 1,700 SQUARE MILES

The U.S. Coast Guard coordinated the search with the Mexican Navy and commercial vessels operating in the area.

A Coast Guard fixed-wing aircraft was also deployed to assist.

Reports said the search continued for more than 41 hours and covered more than 1,700 square miles of ocean.

Despite the extensive operation, Gigler was not located.

His body has not been recovered.

FAMILY QUESTIONS WHAT HAPPENED

The circumstances surrounding Gigler’s disappearance remain unclear.

His sister, Wendy Dowden, told media that the family was struggling to understand why he would have gone overboard.

She suggested that something may have happened to him psychologically during the trip, saying the family believed he had experienced some kind of episode and was not acting like himself.

That remains a family theory rather than an official finding, and authorities have not publicly established why Gigler went overboard.

Dowden also disputed speculation that Thomas and Michelle were experiencing serious marital problems, saying the couple had been getting along well before the tragedy.

HE WAS A LONGTIME COMPUTER PROGRAMMER

Gigler was reportedly a longtime computer programmer who had spent about 24 years working for software company Esri.

He lived in Redlands with his wife and their three sons.

For the family, the cruise was supposed to be a celebration of their marriage and time together.

Instead, Michelle and the boys were left facing an unimaginable loss while authorities searched the Pacific Ocean for answers.

Passengers aboard the Carnival Panorama also reportedly left small tributes for the missing passenger and his family during the journey back to California.

NO ANSWERS YET

Carnival has said it is supporting the family and cooperating with authorities.

The cruise line also confirmed that its crew followed search and investigation procedures after Gigler was reported missing, including reviewing CCTV footage and notifying the U.S. and Mexican Coast Guards.

For now, many questions remain unanswered.

Thomas Gigler was on a family cruise, surrounded by his wife and three young sons, only days before a major wedding anniversary.

His family is still waiting for answers about what happened during his final hours — and, most importantly, for his body to be found.