Man Overboard

[3Sisters]

I'm so sad to find out an MSC Seascape cruise member falling overboard with no return. This crew member was only 30 years old. I wonder if I passed by the member while on the ship a few months back. Does anyone know any more details on the person who passed away? This is such heartwrenching news. 

[PaulB]

I agree, it's heartbreaking news. And it shocks me how frequently these occurrences are. I guess I must have been a little naive to the fact, never occured to me, however it tends to happen often it saddens me to say.

[3Sisters]

I really wonder what happened to this man. I'm so curious if this crew member was on or off duty when this tragic incident occurred. The U.S. Coast Guard released a statement stating their search totaled about 34 hours with no success. My thoughts and prayers go out to this man and his family. 

[PaulB]

I totally agree and with you on that. Condolences to his loved ones I'm sure. I read that the coast guard spent a long time searching, and unfortunately to no avail. It deeply saddens me to hear of such things.

[Kendall James-Vargas]

This man overboard was truly tragic! At least the U.S. Coast Guard did their very best searching and surveying the area. The crew member was so young! I too wonder if this was intentional or an accident. I haven't seen any updates, but if you find any more details please share them below. 

[PaulB]

Are many overboards accidental? I can imagine a few maybe after a few drinks and doing something silly that can cause you to go over, however it is quite hard to actually go over the side unless you put yourself into that situation.

[3Sisters]

Overboard situations are the worst! They can be accidental or due to mental illness. The reasons vary. I want to hope that most of the occurrences are accidental, but that's just not the case. I have been on a cruise where a man overboard situation happened on a balcony during a mother/son confrontation. That's a tricky situation. Even during an investigation, if there weren't any alternate witnesses, no one knew the truth. 

[LukeJ]

Such a sad state of affairs. Mental health affects a lot of people, and it's horrible to see such dark thoughts take over.

[Cruising Caribbean]

@LukeJ It's heart-wrenching. It's a shame that much of the world dismisses mental health and doesn't provide enough supporting care for those who need it. I'm referring to the amount of homelessness in the U.S. due to mental illness. Where I live, there is a huge prominence of homelessness. It's tragic to witness and not stop to care. I happen to have lots of snack/meal options and blankets that I had out to those in need, but I wish there was a better long-term solution to this problem. I believe mental health support would be a huge step in the right direction. Many of our homeless residents pass away in the winter due to the cold temps. 

[LukeJ]

@Cruising Caribbean what sort of extra help would you like to see? It would be fantastic if the whole world got together to try and maintain this, but mental health I fear will get worse because of the atrocities of the world, and the daily stresses that we all receive. 

[Cruising Caribbean]

@LukeJ Honestly it would be more impactful for there to be designated social workers to be more hands-on with reaching out to those in the community. The pay-to-go-away mentality isn't effective. The services are there; there just needs to be a better liaison to connect the resources with those individuals. As a social worker, I can tell you most organizations are understaffed and underpaid. There aren't enough resources to fill in the gaps. Mental health is an epidemic for sure. I would only hope the numbers would decline but it's hard to believe that to be true. 

[PaulB]

Unless something drastic happens, it's unfortunate that it will only get much worse and mental health will have a increase. It's a domino effect that will keep going, until something happens to take that domino away. 

[Kendall James-Vargas]

This topic is saddening. I too wish that mental health issues weren't so predominant, but they don't discriminate. Every guest is welcome to cruise, and there isn't a screening process for cruising. Also, many guests abuse alcohol on their cruises, and if they are struggling with any mental health issues, it can be a dangerous combination. Cruising is meant to be all about fun and relaxation, but accidents and illness still remain a factor. The cruise lines can't take responsibility for accidents, but promoting awareness is always important. 

[PaulB]

@Kendall James-Vargas very true in what you're saying. Alcohol loosens people's minds, and if you're struggling as you state, it can make things worse. It's a shame that people can't enjoy themselves, and all these torments makes me sad.

[LukeJ]

It is a very sad state of affairs that we are seeing. Life I find is precious and it is heartbreaking when other people don't think so and that their lives don't matter. If only these people who jump overboard can see the pain they are leaving behind. I guarantee they will be deeply missed.