New Orleans, Louisiana - A cruise ship passenger who went overboard in the Gulf of Mexico was rescued on Thanksgiving after being in the water for hours.

The US Coast Guard started looking for the 28-year-old passenger of the Carnival Valor cruise ship that was heading to Cozumel, Mexico, Thursday afternoon, per the Associated Press.

The man's sister reported him missing at noon on Thanksgiving, when he didn't return to his stateroom.

The last time she'd seen him, he was heading from the bar, where they'd been having drinks, to the restroom on Wednesday night around 11:00 PM.

The Coast Guard launched a search of the area and asked nearby ships to be on the lookout.

Per Coast Guard Lt. Seth Gross, a cargo ship spotted someone in the water late Thursday afternoon about 20 miles south of Southwest Pass, Louisiana, and the mouth of the Mississippi River.

The person, hoisted from the water by helicopter at about 8:25 PM Thursday, confirmed that he was from the cruise ship. Gross told WWL-TV that the rescue was "a miracle especially on a holiday like Thanksgiving."

The passenger, whose name hasn't been released, was taken to get medical care and "appeared to be suffering from mild hypothermia, shock, dehydration, but his condition overall appeared stable."

The cruise line said in a statement, "We greatly appreciate the efforts of all, most especially the U.S. Coast Guard and the mariner who spotted the guest in the water."