SAN FRANCISCO, CA – The family of an Irish passenger who committed suicide this month during the Atlantis Events gay cruise is seeking answers about the man’s death.
Kenneth John Gemmell, 30, took his own life Feb. 3 on the “Allure of the Seas” cruise ship off the coast of Cozumel, Mexico. Gemmell, a flight attendant for UAE Airlines stationed in Dubai, was a native of Bailieborough, County Cavan, Ireland.
The Irish Independent newspaper reported this week that Gemmell’s family is “desperately trying” to understand what transpired two weeks ago during those fateful early morning hours.
“They particularly would like to hear from the person who witnessed him going overboard. The family has said they want nothing more than to understand what drove their son, who had just turned 30 last Tuesday,” noted the Examiner.com.
The seven-day cruise left Fort Lauderdale on Sunday, Jan. 29, and was heading for Cancun before returning to Fort Lauderdale.
Although Gemmell’s family insists the man “was not a suicide risk,” a spokeswoman for Royal Caribbean Cruises Limited told reporters that the ship’s closed circuit video “clearly” shows “the guest went overboard intentionally.” Gemmell was one of more than 4,500 passengers on board the “Allure of the Seas” as it sailed round-trip from Florida to Mexico, and back again.
“He was alone on the balcony in his stateroom on Deck 11 when he stepped on top of the balcony table in order to jump over the balcony railing,” the spokeswoman said. “The footage is consistent with
an eyewitness report from another guest,” she added.
The “Allure” cruise was chartered by Atlantis Events, the self-described “largest company in the world dedicated to creating unique vacations for the gay and
lesbian community.”
Gemmell’s father, James, told the Irish Independent that “Kenneth was not a suicide risk. He went out on a holiday and was very happy. We just don’t understand what happened.”
The body of their son—who celebrated his 30th birthday during the first days of the “Allure” cruise—has not been recovered. James Gemmell and his wife, Colette, say they fear something “untoward” may have transpired during the cruise. Those fears were exacerbated by reports that their son had “exchanged words” with a crewmember—possibly a bartender—on the evening before his death, and that the crewman in questioned failed to re-board after having disembarked in Cozumel. The cruise line disputed this version of events, claiming they are not “aware” of an altercation between Gemmell and one of the crew. The spokeswoman for the company also said there were no unaccounted crewmembers following the stop in Cozumel.
South Florida law enforcement agencies as well as the Mexican and U.S. coast guards were alerted by ship’s officers when Gemmell’s absence was confirmed. “The ship made multiple public announcements and began a complete search of the ship, in efforts to locate the guest,” said a statement from Royal Caribbean. “When the guest did not respond to the pages and was not found onboard, the captain alerted the local authorities of the situation,” the statement read.