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The Royal Bahamas Defence Force has called off a search for a 66-year-old woman who has been reported missing after falling overboard from the Royal Caribbean ship Allure of the Season.

The incident occurred approximately 17 miles north of Nassau, Bahamas, during a Taylor Swift-themed cruise. The U.S. Coast Guard has confirmed their involvement in the ongoing search efforts, which was spearheaded by the Royal Bahamas Defense Force.

RBDF Lieutenant Commander and Officer in Charge of Search and Rescue Byron McClain told Eye Witness News that the woman jumped from the 14th floor of the cruise into the water. Officers responded and searched the water but to no avail.

An HC-144 airplane crew and an MH-65 Dolphin Helicopter from Air Station Miami were diverted to assist with the search, according to the Coast Guard.

People Magazine had spoken to a passenger on board the ship who said they heard of the incident when rumors circulated on Tuesday night after seeing a “lifeboat” type vessel circling the ship, which was at a standstill.

The cruise, dubbed “In My Cruise Era,” embarked on a four-night journey from Miami to the Bahamas this past Monday. Despite its theme, the voyage was not officially associated with pop icon Taylor Swift. The event attracted around 400 Swift fans, looking forward to a range of themed activities, including karaoke sessions, dance parties, and friendship bracelet exchanges.

Royal Caribbean says it initiated an immediate search and rescue operation upon the passenger’s disappearance. They were collaborating with local authorities to conduct a thorough search. The company said is also extended support to the family of the missing woman during this challenging period, while asking for privacy on their behalf.

US Coast Guard is still searching for a 20-year man, who reportedly jumped overboard a cruise ship on Thursday, 57 miles from Inagua, Bahamas.

The 20-year-old was with family aboard the 18-story Royal Caribbean’s Liberty cruise when he jumped the ship, shortly after 4 a.m. turning passengers’ vacation into a nightmare.

“It was insane,” said passenger Bryan Sims. “It was just surreal.”

The man who remains unidentified, reportedly got into an argument with his father over being intoxicated and in what appeared to be an impulsive, spur-of-the-moment decision, he jumped into the ocean after yelling, “I’ll fix this right now,” as his father and brother looked on helplessly.

“I had hung out with him and his brother in the hot tub until 3:30,” Sims told The Post. ” It was standing room only. He sat right beside me the whole time.”

“He was pretty drunk.

“As we were walking from the hot tub back to the elevators, his dad and brother were walking towards us.

“His dad was fussing at him for being drunk, I guess.”

“He jumped out the window in front of us all.”

It caused panic aboard the ship and the crew joined US Coast Guard in searching for the man.

“There was a lot of yelling, and the crew was alerted immediately,” another passenger,  Deborah Morrison, told The Post.

“His family was horrified, just beside themselves. I can’t even begin to imagine what they’re going through.”

The man has not yet been found but the Coast Guard said it will continue its search and rescue operation between Inagua and Cuba.

The death of 58-year-old Caroline Diplacido, killed in a shack attack on Tuesday in the Bahamas, was an unimaginable tragedy.

The Pennsylvania woman was snorkeling with her family when it was reported a bull shark attacked her on Green Cay which is a half mile off Rose Island, a popular tourist site.

Sunday, September 4

Caroline DiPlacido and 5 members of her family which included her children, boarded the Royal Caribbean Cruise, Harmony of the Seas for a 7-day cruise from Orlando, Florida. The vacation onboard Royal Caribbean was a round-trip Western Caribbean Cruise, which started Sunday, September 4 and was expected to end on Sunday, September 11.

Monday, September 5

Caroline and her family visited a private island, Coco Cay, Bahamas.

Tuesday, September 6

The cruise ship arrived at the port in Nassau, Bahamas, where Caroline and her family disembarked Harmony of the Seas at 7 am.  They booked Seas the Day Bahamas Tours, a local private tour agency that took them to snorkel off Green Cay.

During the excursion, sometime before 3 pm, a bull shark attacked her, biting her to the upper left side of the body, police say. The family made attempts to rescue her but was unsuccessful. Family and tour operators finally were able to help her and she was rushed to the boat for assistance. She was eventually carried to Montague Ramp where medical personnel tried to resuscitate her. She died sometime later on the scene and was transported to the morgue.

Wednesday, September 7

A pathologist and officers of the Royal Bahamas Police Force and the Royal Bahamas Defence Force visited the scene around 1 pm to conduct an assessment of the area.

The area of Green Cay was closed off to the public.

Featured Image: Nassau Guardian

An American woman was killed on Tuesday afternoon in a shark attack on Green Cay, off Montague Beach.

The authorities have not identified the woman believed to be in her 50s, but they confirmed that she was attacked as her children looked on.

The Pennsylvania woman arrived in the Bahamas onboard Royal Caribbean Harmony of the Seas cruise and took a day tour with a local tour company that dropped the family of 5 to 7 individuals on Green Cay, half a mile off Rose Island. While snorkeling, the woman was attacked by a bull shark.

Her children and the tour operator rushed to her aid, bringing her onboard the boat and onto a ramp on the mainland. The woman showed no signs of life and was pronounced dead on the scene.

She is reported to have been bitten on her upper body.

When reporters arrived, her adult children were still on the scene as her body was transported to the morgue.

In a statement to the Associated Press, Royal Caribbean said the woman was a guest on a seven-night cruise that sailed from Port Canaveral, Florida on Sunday and the group of individuals took part in an “independent shore excursion” in the capital.

“Royal Caribbean is providing support and assistance to the guest’s loved ones during this difficult time,” the statement said.

Attorney General Carl Bethel contends that Bahamian developer Toby Smith violated his privacy following Smith’s exposure of a WhatsApp message with Bethel.

Bethel released a press statement on Wednesday after the social media message was revealed to the Tribune where Bethel is shown telling Smith that Royal Caribbean was being “unreasonable” with its rival demands in its battle for a Paradise Island crown land lease.

Why it matters

The March 2020 social media exchange comes amid Smith’s fight in court in which he is seeking the assistance of the Supreme Court to validate the lease of the Paradise Island property and confirm that the crown land lease is legally binding.

The big picture

A Crown Land on Paradise Island is in dispute between Smith and Royal Caribbean Cruise Line which Smith wants to develop into a beach club but has since been approved for development by the government.

Smith is suing the government for violation of the agreement.

What the AG is saying

Bethel told the Tribune on Tuesday night that the exposure was a “grotesque” breach of his privacy.

“I have no comment on such a gross violation of privacy,” he said.

Bethel said he was asked by Cabinet to conduct negotiations, seeking to resolve the proposed lease of Crown Land on Paradise Island where a face-to-face preliminary meeting was held with Smith.

“Subsequently, Mr. Toby Smith contacted me via social media on the basis of privacy. Negotiations continued on that basis.

“Regrettably, Mr. Smith has breached the privacy that he himself indicated in his initial contact,” he said.

Bethel continued, “Negotiations are not usually assisted by arguing and telling the other party to the negotiations that he, himself, is completely unreasonable.

“Since that time, Mr. Smith has commenced a legal action in the Supreme Court.

“Informal contact accordingly ceased.

“It is interesting to know that the said legal action seems not to be going anywhere, and that Mr. Smith now appears to prefer litigating in the press, rather than in court,” Bethel said.

Royal Caribbean Cruise Line is seeking volunteers to test its cruises as it restarts voyages following suspensions during the coronavirus pandemic.

Why it matters

The US Center for Disease Control lifted cruise suspensions on Oct 31st, but cruise lines must conduct test sailings in the advent of new health protocols in the industry. Then cruise lines can officially begin taking passengers onboard.

What they say

Royal Caribbean’s Senior Vice President, Sales, Trade Support and Service, Vicki Freed, said, “We’re going to be doing a series of sailings using our employees and other volunteers to test out the new protocols and make tweaks and modifications to ensure that everything is running smoothly and still deliver that Royal Caribbean amazing vacation experience.”

What are the requirements?

• A volunteer will be you must be 18 or older.
• They must have written proof that they have no pre-existing medical conditions that would place them at high-risk for COVID-19.
• They must follow testing protocols, including rapid testing before embarkation and disembarkation.
• Volunteers must submit to the cruise ship’s monitored observation period
• Volunteer passengers will be informed of the “inherently risky activity” of their test sailing with untested health and safety protocols.

What’s being tested?

• Embarkation and disembarkation procedures, including terminal check-in
• Activities on aboard, including dining and entertainment venues; the ship must modify meal service and entertainment venues to facilitate social distancing during the simulated
• Private island shore excursions (if a port is visited)
• Evacuation procedures
• Transfer of symptomatic passengers or crew, or those who test positive for SARSCoV-2, from cabins to isolation rooms
• Quarantine of all remaining passengers and non-essential crew

Volunteers can sign up at https://www.facebook.com/groups/rcibackatsea/

Featured Image: Royal Caribbean Cruise