A woman reportedly went overboard from a Royal Caribbean cruise ship about 80 miles east of Miami. The overboard alert was sounded at around 11 p.m. on the first day of an ’80s Cruise charter sailing aboard the Explorer of the Seas.
The woman was later identified as Kimberly Burch, the 56-year-old fiancée of Faster Pussycat frontman Taime Downe. Kimberly’s mother, Carnell Burch, told TMZ that the incident followed a heated argument between Kimberly and Taime.
It remains unclear whether she jumped or accidentally fell from the ship, but her mother insists Kimberly would not have intentionally hurt herself.
Kimberly had reportedly been drinking on the cruise, which her mother stated was out of character for her. She was described as being excited about the trip and was not dealing with any depression or emotional issues prior to the incident.
Search Efforts and Ship Response
The ship turned around and deployed a boat into the water while other nearby ships assisted in search efforts. “We can see spotlights in the water on multiple ships. We just had a sitewide announcement of a man overboard,” one ship guest posted online. Multiple other guests posted about the incident.
According to cruise ship tracking data, Norwegian Pearl and Carnival Sunrise, which were close by, may have also assisted in the search.
A U.S. Coast Guard spokesperson stated that the incident occurred approximately 20 miles away from Freeport, Bahamas. The Coast Guard deployed a helicopter crew and other personnel to assist the Royal Bahamas Defense Force in the search. However, the Royal Bahamas Defense Force later suspended search efforts, and Kimberly’s body remains missing.
After some time scouring the area in the darkness, no one was found in the water. Explorer of the Seas arrived in Nassau early on Monday as scheduled.
The ship is on a week-long sailing, also calling at San Juan, Puerto Rico. The music and lifestyle-themed cruise was billed as ‘the Ultimate 80s Party,’ featuring live music, themed parties, 1980s movie screenings, and more. Faster Pussycat was a featured act on the cruise, alongside artists such as Squeeze, Adam Ant, Tiffany, and Men at Work.
Official Statement from Royal Caribbean
A Royal Caribbean Group spokesperson confirmed the overboard incident, “Our crew immediately launched a search and rescue effort, is working with local authorities, and we are providing support and assistance to the guest’s family during this difficult time. To respect the privacy of our guests’ family, we have no additional details to share.”
Kimberly’s family is still trying to reach authorities, hoping to recover her body.
Statistically, man overboard incidents remain relatively rare. A report by Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) noted 212 identified overboard incidents involving guests and crew between 2009 and 2019.
