DESPERATE SEARCH
Hopes dwindle for Brit who plunged 100ft from cruise ship as Air Force jets & volunteer boats join day 4 of search
Rescuers said that the search was initially extended by around 12 hours as the warm sea was 24 degrees
HOPE is dwindling for a missing Brit who plunged 100ft from a cruise ship as the desperate search to find him enters the fourth day.
He is believed to be a man on a seven-day cruise trip from Greece to Croatia that began on August 3.
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Croatian authorities on Friday said the "young Brit" was on board the Royal Caribbean's Explorer of the Seas ship before he went missing.
Croatian Air Force jets and volunteer boats have now joined the search operation, which was extended on Sunday by the National Center for Search and Rescue at Sea.
The vessels and planes are patrolling wider area of the Vis archipelago, located in the southern Croatian waters.
Rescuers explained that survival in these conditions was more likely due to the warm water - and they vowed not to give up.
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Marin Keko, coordinator at the National Center for Coordination of Search and Rescue at Sea, told local outlet HRT: "We don't know the condition of the young man who fell into the sea, but given that he is young, it is possible that he could survive even longer.
"We hope for a positive outcome, we don't want to think negatively at all."
But Sanjin Dumanic, the president of the Association of Croatian Associations of Sea Captains told national broadcaster HTV that hope is dwindling.
Dumanic said: "Since the man has been in the sea for over 40 hours, we are already losing hope.
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"We would all like him to be found, but 40 hours is a very long time and we are losing hope that this search will end successfully".
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The missing Brit fell into the Adriatic sea from a height of more than 100ft at around 4.30am local time.
Radovan Linić, coordinator at the National Center for Coordination of Search and Rescue at Sea, said that he could also have injured himself after plunging from the vessel's decks.
He added that the search was initially extended by around 12 hours as the warm sea was 24 degrees.
Linić said: "The man fell into the sea from a height of more than 30 meters, maybe there was an injury during the fall.
"Since the temperature of the sea is 24 degrees, this allows us to extend the search to at least 12 hours and more.
"Survival in these conditions is more than 12 hours, and the search takes twice as long, at least 24 hours."
It comes after a Brit who vanished after a trip to Thailand was found safe following a mysterious two-week search that spanned 5,000 miles.
Simon Robinson's sister, who had launched an appeal to find him, said the 27-year-old called her last night to confirm he's okay.
Sarah Robinson Dale told The Sun: "Simon rang me and apologised. He's okay thank God.
"He didn't say [where he was]. I'm just so happy he is okay.
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"I didn't ask if he was coming back. I was just so relieved to hear his voice."
In a post on Facebook, Sarah said Simon was "sorry for worrying everyone" adding: "Thank you to everyone who has shared and supported us."