Young man who jumped off cruise ship identified
The young man who jumped overboard from a Royal Caribbean cruise has been identified as 20-year-old Levion Parker.
Parker, a former high school footballer from Florida, was onboard the Liberty of the Seas with his family when the incident occurred, as the vessel was making its way back to the US after a four-day cruise to the Dominican Republic.
The ship was reportedly about 90km off the southern most island of the Bahamas when the young man, who was allegedly under the influence of alcohol, jumped overboard in the early hours of the morning.
Witnesses recounted the harrowing scene, describing how a young man took a spontaneous plunge from one of the ship's decks, despite the desperate pleas and helplessness of his father and brother who stood witness to the impulsive act.
A Royal Caribbean spokesperson told news.com.au the ship’s crew immediately launched a search and rescue effort alongside the US Coast Guard, who took over the search.
“Our Care Team is providing 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,” the spokesperson said on Monday.
Fellow travellers on the cruise were alerted to the tragedy during breakfast a few hours later, as many stood along balconies starring into the sea in the hopes of finding the man.
A passenger took to Reddit to post about the heartbreaking incident said they became aware of the tragedy when the captain "announced it over the PA system while we were at breakfast and the entire room went silent.”
Levion’s father Francel Parker, who owns an air-conditioning business, was invited, together with his family, aboard the ship as guests of Florida-based air-conditioning wholesalers Tropic Supply to mark the company’s 50th anniversary.
The US Coast Guard has suspended its search for the missing young man.
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