Tragedy on Mariner of the Seas

[JLC@SD]

According to the following news story:

 

MIAMI - A passenger reported missing on a cruise to the Bahamas fell overboard after a night of heavy drinking with friends, authorities said Wednesday as Coast Guard crews suspended their search for the man.

 

Friends of Daniel DiPiero, 21, of Canfield, Ohio, last saw him on the Mariner of the Seas around midnight Sunday, Petty Officer Dana Warr said.

 

About two hours later, shipboard security cameras show DiPiero falling overboard from a rail near the front of the ship, investigators said.

 

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060518/ap_on_re_us/missing_cruise_passenger

 

If true and if alcohol is involved..........this may bring added pressure about over drinking on board.

[bdjam]

If true and if alcohol is involved..........this may bring added pressure about over drinking on board.

According to Cruise News Daily (www.cruisenewsdaily.com) the FBI investigation indicates smuggled alcohol contributed to the overindulgence. Most of the alcohol consumed was brought aboard in luggage, which is against RCI’s written policies. Two mouthwash bottles were used to smuggle the alcohol and there was also a bottle of rum brought in their luggage. Apparently the passengers videotaped themselves drinking the smuggled alcohol in their cabin.

The whole unfortunate situation brings to light the fact that controlling alcohol brought on board isn’t just a revenue issue.

[ala-kat]

.

 

The whole unfortunate situation brings to light the fact that controlling alcohol brought on board isn’t just a revenue issue.

 

Being of age, he could have easily been served the same amount with no problem. It's not about 'smuggling', me thinks it goes deeper.

[kkorman]

I agree with bdjam. RCI can't stop you if you are drinking alone. I am a restaurant manager so understand the liabilty involved in letting someone to continue drinking when intoxicated. Not that I think RCI would have stopped him, but I think there is some merit to the statement.

[bdjam]

Being of age, he could have easily been served the same amount with no problem. It's not about 'smuggling', me thinks it goes deeper.

The point is that the cruise line has no control over the amount of alcohol the passenger consumes if it’s smuggled into their cabin – it does have control if it is dispensing it. If a cruise line loses one lawsuit because a passenger was killed or injured and it was found smuggled alcohol was a contributor, I’ll bet there will be a definite change in the enforcement of alcohol policies.

[GloriaF]

I think bdjam makes a very good point - one that I would have never thought about. It makes sense that if a pax is drinking privately with alcohol brought onboard, the ship has no control. Thanks for shedding a little more light on the subjects.

[spongerob]

I also think Brain makes a good point, though from a different perspective. The negative publicity that each of these incidents generates hurts the bottom line. Such is our society that we don't blame the individual, we blame the innocent, if they happen to have a lot of money. You can expect at some point that RCI will take action.

 

I thought it was Carnival that was the party-hardy frat-boy line? Times, they are a-changin'. :rolleyes:

[cruzzers]

What an unfortunate tragedy here. It is eye-opening for all of us with kids that age and probably for some older adults who over induldge.

[momofmeg]

I still do not see how he could've fell overboard unless he had climbed up on the railing or something stupid like that-hanging over the railing would not be enough-unless half of his body was hanging over the railing. Or else there was a major storm and if there was a major storm-why would anyone be on deck?

 

I was on that ship last year-and although that was far from my favorite cruise-that still makes me sad.

[momofmeg]

What an unfortunate tragedy here. It is eye-opening for all of us with kids that age and probably for some older adults who over induldge.

 

Once on one of the Carnival fanasty class ships this 5 year old kid was CLIMBING on the railing of the atruim area and this was like deck 9-I screamed and grabbed that kid so fast-and the Parents looked at me like I was crazy and was trying to kidnap their little demon kid. Heck I was just trying to save his life-why would I want a brat like that?

 

I guess I should have called to a staff employee on ship-but there was'nt exactly time for that.

[Iamthesea]

Perhaps this young man was getting sick over the rail, and then tumbled on over when the ship shifted. Isn't that what happened to "Lindsay" on the Costa ship?

 

You don't have to smuggle your own alcohol to drink privately in your room. If you are over 21, you can order a full bottle of liquor for in room consumption from room service. DH and I do it on every cruise. Makes you wonder though, if these boards have taught the kids how to smuggle alcohol. Hmmmm

 

 

This could also have been suicide. Alcohol and depression go hand in hand and do not make a good combination for clear thinking. However, most suicides from a ship are committed on the last night of the cruise, not the first.

 

Not only do I feel bad for the victim and his family, but also all his buddies and the parents. They had all barely begun their vacation and it's all down the drain. :( I do wonder if the other parties stayed on the ship, or if they flew home. My guess is that they stayed on through all the searching.

 

So sad!

[MaryPoppinz]

Falling over the railing seems like it would be pretty difficult to do? I'm only 5'4", so I'd have to climb over, but even for my 6' husband, the railings are above his center of gravity.

 

Condolences to the family on their loss....

[Pam in CA]

Falling over the railing seems like it would be pretty difficult to do? I'm only 5'4", so I'd have to climb over, but even for my 6' husband, the railings are above his center of gravity.

Correct... ships are specifically designed to make it extremely difficult, if not impossible, to accidentally fall over a railing without the person contributing to the accident in some way by either climbing or sitting on the railing. Even if he were getting sick over the side and the ship moved, it would still be difficult unless he had raised himself up substantially.

 

According to the news reports, the men (I won't call them boys since they were 21) had been drinking large quantities steadily all day. Not just the smuggled booze but also served drinks and wine.

 

I suspect that as a result of this unfortunate incident, cruise lines will start to enforce their policy about bringing liquor onboard. And no, I don't think it's the "big bad" cruiselines wanting to make more money but rather liability issues. They have the policies in place and do have some culpability.

[Iamthesea]

In case you didn't read it elsewhere.

 

Full Statement From Royal Caribbean:

 

 

"At 9 a.m. today, five FBI agents and four U.S. Coast Guard officers boarded Mariner of the Seas in St. Thomas to investigate the tragic disappearance of a 21-year-old male guest, who has been missing from the ship since early Monday morning.

 

"The agents and officers spent four hours onboard the ship interviewing the missing man's six travel companions, other guests and crew members, and meeting with the family of the missing man. The family was flown to the ship by Royal Caribbean.

 

"Royal Caribbean learned the following from the FBI's investigation:

 

 

The young man was served five drinks over a four-hour period - from 8 p.m. to midnight Sunday. During this time, the young man also ate dinner with his six companions, at which point the seven guests shared 1.5 bottles of wine.

 

The missing man and his three roommates brought three bottles of liquor onboard the ship, which they concealed in their luggage in violation of Royal Caribbean policy. The young men concealed some the liquor in two large mouthwash bottles. One bottle contained Crown Royal, the other, a combination of two liquors - one named Hypnotic and the other Hennessy cognac. The young men also brought a bottle of Bacardi rum onto the ship in their luggage.

 

The four young men consumed the alcohol Sunday afternoon and that evening in both their stateroom and that of their guardian.

 

The four videotaped themselves as they drank the alcohol.

 

The FBI and Coast Guard thoroughly reviewed the digital video recording captured by the ship's security systems, which recorded the young man alone on an outside portion of deck four on the starboard side of the ship between 12:12 a.m. and 2:16 a.m. Monday. The FBI and Coast Guard indicated to family members that the young man went overboard at 2:16 a.m. Monday and that he was alone at the time.

 

"We extend our deepest sympathies and condolences to the family and friends of this young man," said Adam Goldstein, president of Royal Caribbean International. "They remain in our thoughts and prayers as they move forward from this tragic event."

 

"The young man's stateroom and the deck four area were fully reviewed by the FBI and were released back to Royal Caribbean. The agency also gave the ship permission to continue with its sailing.

 

"The ship is delaying its departure until midnight tonight (by six hours) to accommodate a visit by the young man's sister. Royal Caribbean continues to assist the young man's family with a guest care team and grief counseling."

 

An Ohio news station also reported that the parents were shown the video tape of their son vomiting over the side before he fell overboard. :(

 

The four young men consumed the alcohol Sunday afternoon and that evening in both their stateroom and that of their guardian.

Not that the young man needed a "guardian", but don't you know they are devastated!

[woodofpine]

It's WELL KNOWN that crewman (especially on RCI) occassionally break up late night boredom with the clandestine maritime sport of drunk tossing...

 

The reason more don't go over the rails is that it's VERY DIFFICULT even in the typical tandem team event to clear the rail tossing a drunk (they tend to be kind of gelatinous!)

 

Three chances then lead the drunch to bed where, next morning, he just thinks the bruised stiffness is part of the post blackout hangover.

 

If you think I'm kinding just walk the decks between 3 and 4 A.M.

[Mrs. Gump]

Huh?????

[Alan51]

If the video camera recorded him falling why didnt the ship immediately stop and search for him?

[Buddy604]

It's WELL KNOWN that crewman (especially on RCI) occassionally break up late night boredom with the clandestine maritime sport of drunk tossing...

 

The reason more don't go over the rails is that it's VERY DIFFICULT even in the typical tandem team event to clear the rail tossing a drunk (they tend to be kind of gelatinous!)

 

Three chances then lead the drunch to bed where, next morning, he just thinks the bruised stiffness is part of the post blackout hangover.

 

If you think I'm kinding just walk the decks between 3 and 4 A.M.

Um, if you're trying to be funny, it's not working. If you're serious, that's an outrageous accusation and potentially libelous.

[Iamthesea]

If the video camera recorded him falling why didnt the ship immediately stop and search for him?

The cameras, such in stores are not checked regularly. The discovery that the man had gone overboard was not until the next day when the video was reviewed. It takes a while to review all video taken from the ship. Beside's, once it was discovered that the man was missing, the ship had gone many miles (and 9 hours) from the time he had fallen off.

 

I just found the following article with a little something different and a video of the grandmother being interviewed.

DiPiero, of Augusta, Ohio, told friends he was going to bed around midnight but never slept in his bed.

 

Surveillance cameras show him leaning on a deck rail about 2:15 a.m. Monday morning.

 

DiPiero's devastated grandmother broke into tears when talking about the possibility that DiPiero went overboard.

 

"That's when he called me. He says, 'Daniel's gone,'" said Audrey DiPiero. "But we don't know anything. He's my baby. I'm so close to all my family."

 

Daniel DiPiero's friends reported him missing at 11 a.m. Monday morning but Royal Caribbean didn't notify the Coast Guard until 7 p.m.

 

The cruise line said it wanted to make sure DiPiero was not on board the ship or on the company's private island, where the ship docked Monday.

 

DiPiero's grandmother said a check of his drink card showed he had a few drinks, but she said not enough for him to be drunk.

 

Audrey DiPiero also said surveillance cameras show Daniel talking to a man at a table around 3 a.m.

 

Another Royal Caribbean passenger, 26-year-old George Allen Smith IV, disappeared from a different ship last summer.

 

His body was never found and his family accused the cruise line of covering up the incident.

http://www.nbc6.net/news/9232748/detail.html?subid=10101481

[Pam in CA]

If the video camera recorded him falling why didnt the ship immediately stop and search for him?

I would doubt that every single security camera on the ship is being monitored live. Besides, his friends, who would or should have known where he was and raised an alarm, didn't report him missing for 11 hours when passengers were already disembarking.

[Pam in CA]

DiPiero's grandmother said a check of his drink card showed he had a few drinks, but she said not enough for him to be drunk.

Obviously, his grandmother didn't know about the large quantities of alcohol he and his friends had smuggled onboard the ship and drunk within a very short period of time.

 

Interviews with family members who don't have the facts or are ignoring them makes for sensational reporting but also goes a long way towards misleading the general public.

[raydon]

Hundreds of folks die every day on land after drinking and then getting in a car to drive. Often they take others with them. This is very sad, but some time or another the media and the rest of us have to take personal responsibility in account. This is not the cruise line"s responsibility. They are not the babysitters for those who want to party beyond their capacity. My condolences to this family, but there is no blame for RCI in my mind.

[Dena]

My condolences to this family, but there is no blame for RCI in my mind.

 

Unless RCI sold him alcohol when he was clearly drunk.

[Gypsea]

If I had indulged in wine, whiskey and mixed two other liquors (Hypnotic??..sounds lethal all by itself) I would not only be very, very ill but I would probably wish I was dead.

No wonder young adults die of alcohol poisoning. It is very sad indeed that there is so little control. My thinking is he was so ill he was outside for air to make him feel better and probably did just fall if he was leaning out too far. The waves and water can make anyone feel unbalanced even without all the booze he had consumed.

 

I hope he was taken quickly without panic or pain. I feel for his fgamily. My own nephew died at 20 years old 10 years ago. That pain never stops.

[Iamthesea]

I read on another thread that the guy was seen (on video) sleeping in a lounge chair up on deck at around 12:15. He was then caught on tape leaning over at the rail at 2:16. It could be that he awoke feeling sick, was a little disoriented, ran for the rail a bit too hard and went over?