Man rescued after falling from cruise ship

Passenger found clinging to a buoy near bridge in St. Petersburg, Fla.

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updated 2:59 p.m. ET June 15, 2009

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - A man found clinging to a buoy after falling from a cruise ship in coastal Florida has been rescued.

The Coast Guard says 46-year-old Larry Miller told them he went overboard from the Carnival Inspiration early Monday morning while it was returning to the Port of Tampa. He was found a few hours later clinging to a buoy near the Sunshine Skyway Bridge in the St. Petersburg area.

He was brought to the hospital with minor injuries.

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Carnival says the man told authorities he slipped after climbing on a railing to get a better view of the pilot boat. The ship was returning from a four-day cruise. The case remains under investigation.

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