Urgent search for cruise ship passengers feared to have fallen overboard near Sydney Harbour

• Search for missing cruise ship passengers
• Fears have been raised they fell overboard

A desperate search has been launched for a cruise ship passenger feared to have fallen overboard.

Two cruise ships – the Carnival Splendor and P&O’s Pacific Adventure – were due to dock in Sydney Harbor before 6am on Monday.

The ships have been forced to remain in waters off the eastern suburbs as the search continues for the passenger.

A NSW Police spokesman confirmed an urgent search was underway.

‘Police are leading the search of waters off Sydney following reports a person was in the water,’ he said.

Officers received a report just after 4am that a passenger had disappeared 10 nautical miles from Sydney Heads.

‘NSW Police Marine Area Command have deployed a number of resources to search for the person and are leading the co-ordination of the water search,’ the spokesman said.

More to come