The search has been called off for a Canadian sailor who went overboard from a navy ship, about 500 nautical miles west of San Francisco, early Monday morning.

Master Sailor Duane Earle, 47, was a boatswain aboard HMCS Winnipeg. The Commander of Maritime Forces Pacific says Earle was last seen on the ship at 5 a.m. Monday, but he wasn’t noticed to be missing until seven hours later.

The Canadian navy ship took part in the search, along with U.S. search and rescue aircraft, helicopters and a fixed wing plane from 19 Wing Comox, B.C., which happened to be in the area. The search, covering more than 2,000 nautical miles, ended after 30 hours without finding Earle.

Commodore Angus Topshee says it remains a mystery as to how the sailor, with 30 years experience and who oversees deck crews, ended up in the water.

HMCS Winnipeg and its 230 member crew were deployed offshore from Korea since September and were headed back to CFB Esquimalt when the incident occurred.

Topshee says a Board of Inquiry has been convened to investigate.  He could not say when the ship will arrive at Esquimalt, B.C.