U.S. Coast Guard officials say a 73-year-old cruise ship passenger who went overboard near the coast of Vancouver Island has died in hospital.

The man went missing early Tuesday morning from the Seven Seas Mariner, which was scheduled to dock in Victoria amid an 11-day Alaska Cruise.

The man was reported to have gone overboard off the balcony of his stateroom at around 4:15 a.m. into U.S. waters just northwest of the Olympic Peninsula.

He was found unresponsive in the water later in the day by a U.S. Coast Guard helicopter crew and transferred to the Olympic Medical Center, where doctors pronounced him dead. 

"We offer our deepest condolences to the family and friends of the victim who were affected by this tragedy,” said Capt. M.M. Balding, Sector Puget Sound Commanding Officer. “Any time we are unable to accomplish our goal of saving lives, we are deeply saddened. Our thoughts are with them in their time of grief."

The Victoria stop has since been cancelled.

The cause of the incident remains under investigation.