Girl overboard on Magica

Here's the link.....

RTE News - Irish girl missing in Gulf of Mexico

Here is another link, http://www.utvlive.com/newsroom/indepth.asp?id=68869&pt=n

So tragic, my heart goes out to the family.

Wow... did not even hear that in any local news here... and we are right on the Gulf of Mexico.

Tragic for everybody... can't imagine to discover all the sudden that one of your family members is missing...

I feel simply awful for that family. Can you imagine the thoughts going through their minds right now.

I just pray that somehow, someway, they will find her alive.

The story on TV this morning contained speculation that she might not have survived the 100-foot fall into the water.

This information was dispersed, in a different news report, on Friday in a small discussion group that I attend. Additionally, I remember reading that the ship's staff were notified about the disappearance around 2 A.M.

While I am truly sorry for the family's loss (I can't imagaine losing one of my children and not going over the deep end), I can't believe that parents would allow an 11 year old and a 15 year old to be roaming the ship at that hour of the morning without supervision. Again, it goes back to accountability.

http://www.irishexaminer.com/pport/web/ireland/Full_Story/did-sgmEKKTz4vGMYsgTbBP-2fa91M.asp

GER

Wow! Talk about a nightmare. I can't even imagine.

That is awful what happened. My heart goes out to her parents and to her young sister who saw it; this must be incredibly hard to have witnessed and not to be able to do anything.

I just got off that cruise today (1/8/06)

There were two versions of what happened floating around the ship. The news had it wrong when it says that the girl was on the top deck. She actually felt off from her balcony on the 8th floor.

Around 8:00 AM the cruise director informed us via PA that for the last several hours, the cruise had been traveling in circles searching for a passenger who had felt off the ship. My uncle, who was traveling with us, told me that at 2:00 AM they had shut down all the music channels on the TV.

Around 1:00 PM again they informed us that the Mexican coast guard would continue with the search and the ship would continue to Cozumel.

We arrived at Cozumel at 3:30 PM (it was scheduled at 8:00 AM)

Yesterday (Saturday), the captain asked for a minute of silence in memory of the tragic event and the whole ship went quiet.

Very sad. Everyone was in shock when we learned that it was a teenager.

The parents were moved downstairs to another cabin across to were I was staying. I did not see them, or spoke with them, but the cabin steward told me about them.

The captain decided to cancel Gran Cayman as port of call and we stayed the next day also in Cozumel.

This caused problems with some passengers. I spoke with a young couple who were getting married in Grand Cayman and they had spent over $20,000 to fly relatives to Grand Cayman, and of course they couldn't get marry. According to them, Costa Magica was not helpful at all to them and they told me they will be contacting an attorney as soon as they got home.

I understand that Congress had scheduled some hearings regarding cruise safety.

Did anyone say how she happened to fall? With the railings as high as they are, one would almost have to be either sitting on it or leaning way over. I'd really like to know, because this is my biggest fear travelling with our kids. Our 9-year-old daughter likes to hang with DH and me, but 17-year-old DS likes the nightlife and partying with the other teens. Anytime I can't find him, I'm just certain he's fallen overboard. It's so scary, because it does actually happen. This is the first time I've heard of it happening to someone so young, however. I feel so terrible for that family, and really everyone on that cruise. What a horrible and sobering experience for everyone.

I am traveling on the Magica in a few weeks with my 2 children , and I always worry when I am aboard a ship. You said there was two stories. Were the two stories that she fell from her balcony and from the top deck. Did it occur at 2:00 AM? This is a tragedy , and although we are all too nervious to ask questions, we are all anxious to know what happened so that we could prevent something so awful from ever happening again.

I just got off that cruise today (1/8/06)

I spoke with a young couple who were getting married in Grand Cayman and they had spent over $20,000 to fly relatives to Grand Cayman, and of course they couldn't get marry. According to them, Costa Magica was not helpful at all to them and they told me they will be contacting an attorney as soon as they got home.

What a tragedy to lose a 15 year old daughter at a time they had planned to be such a happy ocassion. And if the 11 year old witnessed it, a second tragedy. Our prayers join everyone that the family will find peace and comfort.

As to the jerks that had their ill planned wedding spoiled, it is unconscionable not to have compassion for why it was delayed. Bad weather could have done the same thing to you, and hopefullly your attorney will tell you there is no case.......:mad:

Jerks, I don't think they were jerks for being upset. I'm sure they have been planning this wedding for a long time. Wouldn't you be upset. This was to be a big day for them. How would you have felt if your wedding day had to be called off. I'm sure they were upset about the missing teen.

I came to this board to inform you all of this horrible tragic, and find that someone beat me to it. As I read others post about what happened and read the news reports and listen to the story that my own 13 yr. old son tells me about this sad story, I have tears in my eyes.

My son was traveling with his father, father's girl friend and another 13 yr. old aboard the Magica. This is the story that I was told by my son just an hour ago.

This 15 yr. old girl and her 11 yr. old sister were on their cabin's balcony, now what happens next is the question? There were several versions on how she fell in the ocean, here are the ones that were told to me. Remember these are versions that were circulating after the incident, not my version or opinion so please don't make any comments toward me, I am just giving you the facts told to me by a passenger.

1. She had an argument with her parents and jumped, commiting suicide.

2. She fell over board.

3. She was drunk and was getting sick over the railing when she fell.

4. She hit a lifeboat on her way down which left her unconcious and unable to save herself.

The investigators were trying to piece together the true facts but two things were facts that happened that night, she was witnessed by her sister falling from their balcony and the sister then threw her a life jacket. What happened to her prior to those events and after are the huge mysteries.

My son said that the observed a ship wide silence in her honor and that the whole ship was in complete silence and that you could have heard a pin drop.

On the cruiselines behalf, I have to say they seem to have did more than enough in their efforts to find her, even missing a port of GC bc they were making circles in their search to find her. Also, one does not just fall over board on a ship. Anyone that has ever cruised before is aware that the railings are 3 1/2 - 4 ft. tall and one does not just fall over something at this level. She was standing on something and fell over or she had help going over. That is what I think.

My heart and prayers go out to the family of Lyndsey. I can only imagine what they are going through. After having just returned from a family cruise vacation aboard the Legend of the Seas just myself and the 3 kids, I feel lucky to have arrived home with all of my kids and not just 2.

God Bless and I hope they find her soon.

The first rumor on the boat was that the teenager was drunk and she was in her room with her sister when this happen. Some people were saying that the oldest brother was supplying the alcohol since she couldn’t buy it by herself and he was the one present when she jumped.

The other rumor was that she was drunk and she got into a fight with her parents and she threatened to kill herself. Apparently the argument got even worse and she jumped, killing herself. This is also what the local newspaper reported in Cozumel.

Additional stories were added to the second version, such as that the girl was taking anti depressant and she had told her parent she’d kill herself on the cruise, and that this was not her first attempt to take her own life.

Both versions include alcohol and both versions include voluntary actions from the girl rather than an accident. I think the truth lays somewhere in between both versions.

Regarding the couple who were getting married:

1. They were NOT related to the girl.

2. It was the captain’s choice not to go to Grand Cayman

3. The accident had nothing to do with not going to Grand Cayman. It made us get late to Cozumel, but GC was not affected. We could have sailed towards GC at 6:30 as it was scheduled or even at midnight and we could have still been in GC on time the next day. The captain came into the PA system and say that he had decided not to go to GC because Cozumel was the “highlight” of the trip and he wanted people to enjoy it as much as possible.

In my opinion, I truly believe that he stayed there to make it easier for the family of the girl, since the Ireland's embassy in Mexico was already helping the family by the time we got there. The fact that he used the excused of Cozumel being the highlight of the cruise instead of telling us it was related to the accident, it made people angry.

I really was not looking forward going to GC, since I’ve been there twice already, and there is not much to do unless you are doing diving or snorkeling or the sting ray city tour, plus I enjoyed my stay at Cozumel. And if by staying there, we were helping the family who suffered the tragedy, even more so I am glad we stayed there.

On the other hand I think it was not fair for people like this couple who had their wedding planned. Costa could have offer them to fly them from Cozumel to GC or make some other arrangement, but the couple was really upset because the lack of accommodation from Costa. According to the groom, Costa even wanted them to pay for the telephone call they placed to their family in GC who were waiting for them.

Honestly, after the accident, I couldn’t enjoy the cruise the same way. As a parent, I felt the pain those parent were feeling and me and my wife prayed for them. We even send them an anonymous condolence note letting them know there were people in the boat prying for them.

For those of you who are planning to go in Costa Magica for the first time, and you have been in other cruises before, most likely you’ll be disappointed in three major areas: Food, entertainment and organization. I am writing a full review of the major flaws I saw during this cruise and I’ll post it later.

Jerks, I don't think they were jerks for being upset. I'm sure they have been planning this wedding for a long time. Wouldn't you be upset. This was to be a big day for them. How would you have felt if your wedding day had to be called off. I'm sure they were upset about the missing teen.

Well. Planning a wedding at Grand Cayman was a huge mistake to begin with. That is an often canceled port due since it is a tender port and the seas are often too rough. My own experience has been Cayman was cancelled three out of seven times it was on the itinerary!

I agree with Charles4515. We've had ports cancelled in the past due to weather, and it does state in the back of most brochures that the cruise line has the discretion to cancel a port if it deems it necessary. The couple certainly could have flown from Mexico to Grand Cayman. If they had already invested $20,000 in flights for family members waiting on Cayman, then a flight over for the two of them would have probably been a wise investment.

I've always said that there is no such thing as a bad cruise, but with the devastating situation that occurred, it would be absolutely impossible to have a good time. The whole thing is absolutely heartbreaking.

Well. Planning a wedding at Grand Cayman was a huge mistake to begin with. That is an often canceled port due since it is a tender port and the seas are often too rough. My own experience has been Cayman was cancelled three out of seven times it was on the itinerary!

They should have flown to GC with everyone else they flew there, got married, then cruised. Like Charles said GC gets dropped often.

Well. Planning a wedding at Grand Cayman was a huge mistake to begin with. That is an often canceled port due since it is a tender port and the seas are often too rough. My own experience has been Cayman was cancelled three out of seven times it was on the itinerary!

They should have flown to GC with everyone else they flew there, got married, then cruised. Like Charles said GC gets dropped often.

According to them, it was Costa who recommended GC as the port of call to be married on, because it was the port that they less do cancelations on.

According to them, it was Costa who recommended GC as the port of call to be married on, because it was the port that they less do cancelations on.

Hard to believe Costa recommended Grand Cayman or that it is the port they do less cancellations on. Besides my personal experience at Cayman I have heard a lot of reports about that port being cancelled. I have also had other tender ports cancelled three times. My advise to those schedualing a wedding would be to have it at the embarkation port either the day before sailing or the morning of sailing. Besides all the missed calls at Cayman I mentioned I have had a port call where there was a dock cancelled (Costa Maya) because of rough seas. Then there were a couple of port calls missed or delayed because of a medical emergency where the ship had to turn back to the previous port. Just last September had to leave Bermuda a day early because of a Hurricane. In this case I suspect they stayed an extra day at Cozumel because of the investigation.

According to them, it was Costa who recommended GC as the port of call to be married on, because it was the port that they less do cancelations on.

To the "Bride and Groom"......Who is "Costa"?

Sounds like they were blaming someone else again for their bad planning. Reading the disclaimers that all cruise lines put out, it is clear they dsiclaim any responiblity to guarantee to stop at the planned ports of calls.

Lesson, expect that you may not make a port, it has been known to happen many times.......:rolleyes:

Lesson, don't gamble 20K that a cruise ship will make the port call, or that it will make it on time, or that it will happen on the day published.......:rolleyes:

Everyone that has taken more than one cruise has experience a missed port of call. And, read the GC thread and learn of all the problems GC has been having for months, which I am sure "Costa" knew about........:rolleyes:

I also came off the Costa Magica today. Even though all on a cruise ship are having fun, parents should know where the children are and who their friends are, similar to when you are home. Concerns should be similar to that at home and commonsense should prevail.

While I think that ships are safe, reasonable curfews/rules are necessary keeping in mind the kids are on holidays too. We had young teens on this ship also and the impacts of events was felt by all passengers.

Enjoy your cruise.

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However, on a different issue. At the Toga show on the last night of the cruise, there was passenger entertainment. For those at the show and if you were sitting in the first 5 rows or so, undoubtly you noticed the 3rd or 4th act - the pervert/exhibitionist from Amsterdam on stage. Once I get home, I'll address this separately.

Ken II - This will be our second Costa cruise, and we really enjoyed the Toga night/passenger talent show on the last night the last time we sailed. Our DD (7 at the time) was with us and loved it also. We usually sit in the first few rows at every show, so I can't wait to hear what happened at your particular show.:confused:

As for teens, it definitely is hard to keep track of them at times. It sounds like that really wasn't a contributing factor in this case, however, as the young lady apparently fell from her own balcony. I know from experience that even though we gave our teenage son a curfew on our cruises, as he's gotten older, he has not always followed it. There's been more than one night that DH and I were out trying to find him (passing other bleary-eyed parents doing the same thing).:mad:

Hope you enjoyed your trip.