- The 18-story Liberty of the Seas traveled between Cuba and the Bahamas
- The man reportedly told his father, “I’ll deal with this right now,” before jumping
- About 386 people have fallen overboard on cruise ships in the past twenty years
A 20-year-old man has jumped overboard from an 18-storey Royal Caribbean cruise ship in the presence of his shocked family.
The Liberty of the Seas was en route between Cuba and Grand Inagua Island in the Bahamas when the shocking incident occurred around 4am on Thursday.
Witnesses told the New York Post The man’s father and brother watched as he went overboard.
Bystanders said it appeared to be an impulsive decision.
Passenger Bryan Sims told The Post that he hung out until 3:30 a.m. with the man, who was sitting in the cabin cockpit “quite drunk.”
The 18-storey Liberty of the Seas was en route between Cuba and Grand Inagua Island in the Bahamas when the shocking incident occurred around 4am on Thursday. (Stock Image)
Witnesses said the man’s father and brother watched as he went overboard. (Stock photo)
Sims added, “As we were walking from the hot tub back to the elevators, his father and brother walked up to us.
“His dad was worried about him because he was drunk, I think.”
The man reportedly told his father, “I’ll deal with this right now,” before jumping over the eighteen floors.
Witness Deborah Morisson told The Post that the family was “shocked.”
A US Coast Guard spokesperson told DailyMail.com on Friday morning that they are still considering it a rescue operation.
Passengers reported on social media that the ship stopped moving after the man jumped, while the coast guard arrived to take over the search.
Royal Caribbean said: ‘The ship’s crew immediately launched a search and rescue operation with the US Coast Guard, who took over the search. Our care team provides support and assistance to the guest’s family during this difficult time.
“For the privacy of the guest and their family, we have no additional details to share.”
According to the Washington Post, approximately 386 people have gone overboard on cruise ships over the past two decades.
About 386 people have fallen overboard on cruise ships in the past twenty years. Last year, Cameron Robbins, 18, ended up in shark-infested waters in the Bahamas and disappeared
Last year, 18-year-old Cameron Robbins ended up in the shark-infested waters of the Bahamas and disappeared.
The search for Robbins was called off two days later.
Robbins had recently returned from a weekend of fishing on Louisiana’s Gulf Coast with his father and brother before leaving for his graduation party in the Bahamas.
The boat was near the uninhabited island of Athol when Robbins reportedly dared to jump into the ocean.
Social media users pointed out that Robbins’ friends laughed and said goodbye to him instead of trying to stop him or help him back on board.
One user posted a video asking who was heard saying “hi” in the video.
