Mexico Mexico - Rebecca Coriam, 24, Disney Cruise Employee, Coast of Mexico, 22 March 2011

[watchful_eye]

What a sad story. My heart goes out for this beautiful young woman and her family. No matter how or why she is missing, SHAME on Disney for not getting more publicity on this case. I only found out about it on Websleuths.

I just went to CruiseBruise.com. Holy CRAP. Talk about scary. Especially a captain being a convicted child molester!!! W.T.F???

My husband and I both NEVER had any desire to go on a cruise for various innocent reasons, but that website seals the deal!

I do hope they uncover what happened to her, whatever the reasoning may be, and before anyone makes the assumption that she committed suicide, they need to investigate her background for any depression or trauma/problems.

 

[belimom]

Seems to me that if someone witnessed her jumping overboard, they would have alerted other staff to the situation, and not just gone back to their regular activities, letting her absence go unnoticed until she missed her shift. This person is reporting it after the fact. I'm not buying it at this point. JMHO.

Here's a little more from the news (bbm):

...snip...

Coriam's parents and aunt said according to her roommate, she had called a friend. But the family says a Disney liaison is releasing few details about the phone call.

"They say they know what the conversation was but they're not telling us," said Coriam's aunt, Trish Davies. "They say they've got to wait for the investigation."

More at http://abclocal.go.com/kabc/story?section=news/local/los_angeles&id=8036481

 

[belimom]

Very interesting... From the same site that dreamweaver quoted:

"Suicide" - One of the Cruise Lines' Favorite Excuses When a Passenger Disappears at Sea

For the past many years, I have watched cruise lines respond to each disappearance at sea by blaming the passenger.

More at http://www.cruiselawnews.com/2009/0...e-excuses-when-a-passenger-disappears-at-sea/

 

[dreamweaver]

http://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/l...for-Missing-Disney-Crew-Member-118736089.html

Authorities searched all day Saturday for a cruise worker who disappeared on a Disney cruise ship heading to Mexico from Los Angeles. Authorities will continue the investigation of the Disney Wonder after it docks in San Pedro early Sunday morning.
~~

She was seen early Tuesday and made a phone call to friend, but never showed up for work as part of the ship's youth program. Disney representatives were not releasing information regarding the call.

 

[dreamweaver]

http://losangeles.cbslocal.com/2011/03/26/authorities-search-for-missing-disney-cruise-worker/
The ship, which is scheduled to return to the Port of Los Angeles in San Pedro Sunday, is registered in the Bahamas, so authorities there are handling the investigation, according to ABC7.

 

[Yaelle]

I feel so horribly for these parents. I hope she's ok, but I fear there was foul play.

How does Disney know what was said in that 5:30 phone call? If they tell the parents that she said she was going to end it all in that 5:30 am call the day she went missing, they had better ask for Proof. I'm not buying. She was so pretty, maybe she spurned someone's advances and they murdered her, threw her overboard...

Praying for a miracle outcome.

 

[panthera]

http://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/l...for-Missing-Disney-Crew-Member-118736089.html

Authorities searched all day Saturday for a cruise worker who disappeared on a Disney cruise ship heading to Mexico from Los Angeles. Authorities will continue the investigation of the Disney Wonder after it docks in San Pedro early Sunday morning.
~~

She was seen early Tuesday and made a phone call to friend, but never showed up for work as part of the ship's youth program. Disney representatives were not releasing information regarding the call.

It appears the roommate and/or friend revealed the details of the phone conversation, however, Disney officials are leaving it up to LE to divulge the contents. I am still curious what time she was to start her shift, therefore, how many hours passed between the phone call, when she was last seen and possibly went overboard. MOO

 

[SheWhoMustNotBeNamed]

With as often as this happens, WHY are ALL of the railings on these ships not under video surveillance???

 

[panthera]

With as often as this happens, WHY are ALL of the railings on these ships not under video surveillance???

Good question. And make them higher, or with something on the top that wouldn't allow anyone to be able to get on the top to sit (and fall over) or be able to get between the railings and go in. MOO

 

[belimom]

Good question. And make them higher, or with something on the top that wouldn't allow anyone to be able to get on the top to sit (and fall over) or be able to get between the railings and go in. MOO

I've been googling this and it seems that they are about 4-feet high. Some of the Disney ones (not sure about all?) have plexiglass so kids won't go through. When I was searching, I found some responses by people over 6-feet tall who said there's no way they could have fallen overboard without help - such as standing on a chair, etc.

 

[panthera]

I've been googling this and it seems that they are about 4-feet high. Some of the Disney ones (not sure about all?) have plexiglass so kids won't go through. When I was searching, I found some responses by people over 6-feet tall who said there's no way they could have fallen overboard without help - such as standing on a chair, etc.

Thanks! I figured there would be something in place for the safety of children, however, even if the railing is 4 ft. high a somewhat tall adult could hoist themselves onto the top. I am doubting, however, if Rebecca did that on her own. MOO

 

[Kat]

http://losangeles.cbslocal.com/2011/03/26/authorities-search-for-missing-disney-cruise-worker/
The ship, which is scheduled to return to the Port of Los Angeles in San Pedro Sunday, is registered in the Bahamas, so authorities there are handling the investigation, according to ABC7.

The LE in the Bahamas are handling the investigation?

(I really am not sure how to read that TIA for clearing that up, and if it is the Bahamian LE that is investigating I think I feel sick to my stomach for this family).

 

[belimom]

The LE in the Bahamas are handling the investigation?

(I really am not sure how to read that TIA for clearing that up, and if it is the Bahamian LE that is investigating I think I feel sick to my stomach for this family).

Yes, they are because it's registered in The Bahamas... I think there's a conflict of interest, though, since The Bahamian gov't is so small and the entire country basically exists off tourism. Those big cruise ships bring in a lot of money.

 

[KaylynnCouture]

I've been googling this and it seems that they are about 4-feet high. Some of the Disney ones (not sure about all?) have plexiglass so kids won't go through. When I was searching, I found some responses by people over 6-feet tall who said there's no way they could have fallen overboard without help - such as standing on a chair, etc.

We went on a Disney cruise last summer. The railings had plexiglass in between so that kids couldn't throw stuff in between, etc. They were also very high (significantly higher than the other cruises I've been on) to the point where my husband (who's just over 6 feet tall) could not have jumped over them without some sort of assistance (a chair to stand on, etc).

 

[wfgodot]

Bahamian LE at least captured the Barefoot Bandit, something that U.S. authorities signally failed to do.

 

[belimom]

Bahamian LE at least captured the Barefoot Bandit, something that U.S. authorities signally failed to do.

Yes, but barefoot bandits don't bring in money for the country.

bbm

Number one cruise ship registry
Biggest names in the industry fly The Bahamas flag

...snip...

And with a total of 43 million gross tons and 1,650 vessels flying the aquamarine, gold and black flag, The Bahamas has shown impressive growth over the past 12 years and succeeded in maintaining its position as the third-largest ship registry in the world behind Panama and Liberia.

...snip...

Some of the biggest names in the industry have opted to fly the Bahamian flag. Carnival, Royal Caribbean, Disney, Chevron, Texaco, Exxon, Teekay Shipping, Restis and the Clipper Group have all expressed their confidence in The Bahamas’ ability to register them, provide ongoing technical service and regulate and enforce maritime laws.

...snip...

The shipping registry has thus far proven itself to be a solid revenue generator for the country. In addition to attracting companies to base their operations in The Bahamas, since the formation of the Bahamas Maritime Authority a little more than 10 years ago, the registry has directly contributed more than $40 million to the public treasury.

More at http://www.thebahamasinvestor.com/2007/number-one-cruise-ship-registry/

They don't want to scare away business by cracking down too hard. All of this is just speculation and MOO - I don't think it's that corrupt but I do believe it may come into play.

 

[London]

I have friends who knew this girl well, it's a very confusing situation, you would think on a Disney cruise that there would be cameras observing all the railings! Knowing what people are saying about this girl I have a horrible feeling something criminal has occurred as it seems such a strange occurrence on what was a dream job, & if she had problems she could come home which was a world away from the cruise location.
I hope that whatever happened the full truth comes out.

 

[dreamweaver]

I have friends who knew this girl well, it's a very confusing situation, you would think on a Disney cruise that there would be cameras observing all the railings! Knowing what people are saying about this girl I have a horrible feeling something criminal has occurred as it seems such a strange occurrence on what was a dream job, & if she had problems she could come home which was a world away from the cruise location.
I hope that whatever happened the full truth comes out.

Welcome to WS, London!!!!

 

[panthera]

I have friends who knew this girl well, it's a very confusing situation, you would think on a Disney cruise that there would be cameras observing all the railings! Knowing what people are saying about this girl I have a horrible feeling something criminal has occurred as it seems such a strange occurrence on what was a dream job, & if she had problems she could come home which was a world away from the cruise location.
I hope that whatever happened the full truth comes out.

Welcome! I agree, and it also seems that if she were suffering from severe depression (i.e. suicidal) she wouldn't have been able to hide it from everyone, since in her line of work, she would have to maintain an upbeat persona. Therefore I don't think she went overboard voluntarily. MOO

 

[panthera]

Yes, but barefoot bandits don't bring in money for the country.

bbm



They don't want to scare away business by cracking down too hard. All of this is just speculation and MOO - I don't think it's that corrupt but I do believe it may come into play.

However, I believe the Bahamian government would want to find out whatever happened as unsolved cases can lead to speculation. Also, if a crime did occur on board the ship, it's not as if it was on Bahamian soil, as a hotel would be, or by a Bahamian citizen. IIRC, the cruise initiated in the U.S. MOO