north of Bermuda were called off yesterday morning after nearly 24 hours of searching.

The 31-year-old ship's cook went overboard early Tuesday without a life jacket.

A Harbour Radio spokesman said: "Search and rescue missions have been suspended and his ship has been released to continue on to the next port.

"There are nearly gale-force winds out there and 15-foot waves.'' Four searches by a US Coast Guard C-130 plane from North Carolina and two searches by his ship failed to locate the man.

He was last seen on board the Norwegian cargo ship Transfennia at about 5.30 a.m. Tuesday when the ship was about 250 miles north of Bermuda.