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Late in the evening on April 25, 2023, the US Coast Guard received an alarming call from the Quantum of the Seas cruise ship. The ship, en route from Australia to Hawaii, informed authorities that an Australian passenger had gone overboard approximately 500 miles (805 kilometers) south of its intended destination. Acting swiftly, the crew immediately initiated a search and rescue operation, utilizing life rings in an earnest attempt to save the individual. Unfortunately, after two hours of extensive searching, the missing passenger, Warwick Tollemache, a 35-year-old Australian citizen, could not be found. Despite the crew's valiant efforts, the ship resumed its journey. On Wednesday, the Coast Guard conducted a thorough aerial search for approximately six hours using a helicopter, yet failed to locate the man.
A distressing cellphone video taken on the Carnival Valor cruise ship recorded the final chaotic moments of a 32-year-old woman's life. She was on a five-day voyage from New Orleans to Mexico with her husband when the incident unfolded. The footage apparently captures the aftermath of an unidentified incident in the hot tub. It shows three security guards restraining the woman by the poolside. She vigorously struggles to break free and repeatedly shouts the name "Alicia." The guards pin her arms behind her back, handcuff her, and then lead her away from the pool, up the stairs. Witnesses relay that a short while later, she successfully evades the guards and jumps off the ship's tenth floor into the sea. Immediate rescue efforts ensue, although it is surmised that the woman struck her during the fall, causing her to immediately disappear under the water's surface. The coast guard diligently scoured an extensive area of 2,514 square miles (6,511 square kilometers) for 14 hours before eventually suspending their search.
In the early morning of December 11, 2022, passengers aboard the Carnival Miracle cruise ship were informed that an individual had gone overboard. The ship was on a three-day journey from Long Beach Cruise Terminal to Ensenada. Despite searching for over 31 hours, the Coast Guard ended their search without locating the woman. As reported by CBS Los Angeles, many passengers believe the incident was the result of foul play, as the woman fell from her stateroom's balcony on the fifth floor. “Someone has lost their life, whether it was done by accident or by foul play I don’t know,” said Daniel Miranda, a Northern California firefighter paramedic on board the ship. “There’s some high suspicion of foul play.” He estimated around 1,100 were on board at the time of the incident.
Between November 22 and December 16, 2018, four individuals vanished from cruise ships.
Luke Renner, a 22-year-old passenger with autism on the Carnival Fantasy, is thought to have fallen overboard on December 16, 2018. The Mexican navy initiated a search operation for his whereabouts.
On December 14, 2018, Thomas McElhany, 26, went missing after falling overboard near the Florida Keys on the Carnival Victory ship. Despite inquiries from the Miami Herald, Carnival did not provide any information about whether the ship possessed the mandatory overboard detection technology. Tragically, McElhany's body was not found.
On December 8, 2018, an unidentified Dutch woman fell into the water from the MSC Preziosa near Martinique and her whereabouts remain unknown. The crew was unaware of her disappearance until docking.
A crew member from the Royal Caribbean's Adventure is believed to have fallen overboard on November 22, 2018 and remains missing. Although unidentified, his age was 27.
Amy Lynn Bradley, along with her family, embarked on the Rhapsody of the Seas cruise ship by Royal Caribbean International on March 21, 1998. Between 5:15 am and 6 am, the 23-year-old disappeared from her cabin, where her father had last seen her sound asleep.
She's been missing for over 20 years. Shockingly, during her parents' appearance on the 'Dr. Phil' show, a photo suggested she had been sold into forced prostitution.
On July 23, 2004, Christopher Caldwell and his fiancée were gambling at the casino on a Carnival Cruise ship bound for Mexico when she retired for the night and he remained at the tables. He never made it back to their cabin and his whereabouts have remained unknown ever since.
There are suspicions that he fell overboard due to being intoxicated, but there is no evidence of this captured on surveillance video.
Elizabeth Kay Galeana was last spotted on July 25, 2006, aboard the Voyager of the Seas during a Mediterranean cruise. In an effort to locate her, Italian authorities and the FBI conducted a thorough search of the ship. Despite the absence of any evidence suggesting foul play, the family sadly confirmed Elizabeth's demise in a statement, despite the lack of a recovered body.
Merrian Carver vanished on August 28, 2004 while aboard the Celebrity Cruises' Mercury. The family's online statement reports that a crew member notified their superior on the day she disappeared and was told to go back to work.
After an unsuccessful investigation that began nearly a month after the disappearance, her father founded the International Cruise Victims Association. Despite Canadian authorities suspecting they discovered her remains, the exact circumstances surrounding her fate remain unknown.
On December 4, 2004, Annette Mizener went missing during her nine-day trip on Carnival Cruise's The Pride in the Mexican Riviera. She was accompanied by her parents, daughter, and husband.
According to her husband's online post, Carnival Cruise has been accused of withholding evidence and a crew member has been accused of lying to the FBI.
On May 12, 2005, the couple vanished while on Carnival Cruise's Destiny ship, sailing between Barbados and Aruba.
Based on what their children say, who kindly purchased the cruise as a present, the ship took a significant amount of time to notify the American and Dutch coast guards about the incident. The children have concerns that the company may be keeping information from them. Hue Pham and Hue Tran have not been found.
George Allen Smith IV went missing on July 5, 2005, during his honeymoon cruise on the MS Brilliance of the Seas in the Mediterranean. Unfortunately, his dream vacation turned into a disturbing situation when blood was discovered in his cabin.
According to CBS News, the FBI was called in to investigate the possible involvement of the Russian Mafia. However, the mystery was never solved.
In September of 2006, Tammy Grogan, along with her son, mother, and two friends, embarked on Carnival Cruise's Imagination from Key West, Florida to Playa Del Carmen, Mexico. Tragically, Tammy was last seen on the beach at Playa Del Carmen before being reported missing by the cruise ship, suggesting that she had gone overboard. However, upon their return home, Tammy's son discovered that their house had been broken into and robbed. Despite extensive searches, Tammy's body was never recovered, prompting police to investigate the possibility of foul play.
Rebecca Coriam, employed on the Disney Wonder cruise ship, was captured on security camera engaged in a heated conversation during the early hours before her disappearance.
She hasn't been seen since March 22, 2011, when the ship was on Mexico's Pacific Coast. Her parents have accused Disney Cruise Line of a cover-up.
John Halford disappeared on April 6, 2011, during his last night on Thomson Cruise's Spirit after a six-day journey.
The Spirit arrived at Sharm-el-Sheikh, Egypt, where local authorities conducted an investigation. According to the police, no evidence was discovered, leading to the assumption that Halford fell overboard.
On September 16, 2012, the Allure of the Seas crew informed that something had gone overboard during their voyage from Florida to the Bahamas. Despite their search, no items were found initially. However, they later discovered that A’riel Brianna Marion had gone overboard. Regrettably, her body was never recovered. While the investigation deemed that she took her own life her friends strongly oppose this explanation.
On February 29, 2012, Fariba Amani was last spotted onboard the Bahamas Celebration cruise ship, traveling between the Bahamas and Florida.
According to her boyfriend, he saw her for the last time in the gift shop at 1 am. The blog 'The True Crime Files' suggests the possibility of the boyfriend's involvement in her vanishing.
Passenger Luis Felipe Del Rosario Perez was last observed by the captain of the MV Zenith on December 27, 2016. It remains unclear whether he disappeared on land or fell into the water. There have been no further sightings or communication from him since that time.
Cruise ship law firms, victims associations, and online news bulletins have been set up in response to this under-the-radar epidemic. But as you'll see in the next slides, the alarms have been going off for years.
Multiple reports confirm that there were approximately 270 disappearances from cruise ships between 2000 and 2016. Since then, there has continued to be an average of 20-25 disappearances per year.
Cruise ships frequently lose passengers and crew members. The standard course of action is to simply continue on their journey, unless instructed to stop by the local coast guard. However, the coast guard is often only notified of the incident several hours after the individual has been reported missing on board. Consider this: cruise ships carry thousands of people, many of whom are intoxicated, and there are no police to be found. While there are security staff, they ultimately answer to the cruise ship company, whose primary focus is maximizing profits. Although efforts are made to locate missing individuals, there is a limit to how long the search can go on before the person is presumed dead.
Click through the gallery for stories of passengers who disappeared on cruise ships, never to be found again.
Mysterious cases of passengers disappearing from cruise ships
You'll be shocked to learn just how often passengers disappear
LIFESTYLE Lost
Cruise ships frequently lose passengers and crew members. The standard course of action is to simply continue on their journey, unless instructed to stop by the local coast guard. However, the coast guard is often only notified of the incident several hours after the individual has been reported missing on board. Consider this: cruise ships carry thousands of people, many of whom are intoxicated, and there are no police to be found. While there are security staff, they ultimately answer to the cruise ship company, whose primary focus is maximizing profits. Although efforts are made to locate missing individuals, there is a limit to how long the search can go on before the person is presumed dead.
Click through the gallery for stories of passengers who disappeared on cruise ships, never to be found again.