In the past day our office has received numerous requests for information about a woman who apparently went overboard from the Disney Wonder cruise ship two days ago.
There are no reports of this alleged incident in the mainstream press. This does not necessarily mean anything because the last three cruise line overboard were either not reported in the press at all or the stories were mentioned only in non-U.S. newspapers.
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Cruise expert Ross Klein’s website contains a short reference to the incident, stating: "From a crew member (unconfirmed): Two days ago one of the youth activities counselors apparently jumped over board. It was at 3 am. They are still searching the ship without any news about her."
Professor Klein reports that there have been 157 cruise ship overboards in the last decade.
There have been five other cruise ship overboards this year, involving crew members from Royal Caribbean’s Grandeur of the Seas, Celebrity Cruise’s Constellation, Carnival’s Miracle, and Costa’s Atlantica, as well as a passenger from Royal Caribbean’s Liberty of the Seas.
Neither the cruise industry nor the U.S. maintain a list of cruise overboards.
Disney responded to our request for information indicating that the cruise line reported the incident to the Mexican Navy, the U.S. Coast Guard, the F.B.I., and the Bahamas Maritime Authority. Disney sent us the folowing statement:
“Given the circumstances we are very concerned about this situation and are doing everything possible to assist with the search effort and investigation. The Mexican Navy has been conducting searches since Tuesday, and we immediately contacted the FBI and the Bahamian Maritime Authority, which is leading the investigation on this matter. We have also conducted a thorough and comprehensive inspection of the ship and spoken with the crew member’s colleagues to gather as much information as possible.”
Consider reading: Who Investigates Disappearances on Cruise Ships?
Do you have information about this latest overboard? Please leave a comment below.
March 24th Update: The crew member apparently disappeared off of the coast of Mexico. The ship is sailing to Cabo San Lucas today. Here is a video from ABC-7 News (Los Angeles):
The Orlando Sentinel reports:
Officials are searching for a female Disney Wonder cruise ship crew member who has been missing since Tuesday.
We have also conducted a thorough and comprehensive inspection of the ship and spoken with the crew member’s colleagues to gather as much information as possible," a Disney Cruise Lines statement indicated.
The Disney Wonder, which sailed out from the Port of Los Angeles, has been on a seven-night cruise to the Mexican Riviera.
Disney Cruise Lines spokeswoman Rena Langley said the Mexican Navy is conducting the search. The U.S. Coast Guard and the FBI also is assisting. The Bahamian Maritime Authority is investigating the incident.
Langley said the crew member, who has been with the cruise line since 2010, never returned for her scheduled shift. She did not identify the missing woman. It’s unclear if she fell overboard, but Langley said it’s "certainly a possibility."
"Given the circumstances, we are very concerned about this situation and are doing everything possible to assist with the search effort and investigation," Disney officials said.
March 25 Update: BBC News identified the crew member as Ms. Rebecca Coriam, age 24, from Chester, England.