Topic: British woman missing from Disney cruise ship in Mexico

A young British woman has gone missing from a cruise ship off the coast of Mexico.

Rebecca Coriam, 24, from Chester, was working as a youth worker aboard the Disney Wonder which was three days into a week-long cruise from LA.



She was reported missing last Tuesday. The alarm was raised after she failed to turn up to her shift.

Conservative MP for Chester, Stephen Mosley, and officials from the Foreign & Commonwealth Office have been liaising with Ms Coriam's family.

A spokesman for the FCO said: "We are providing consular assistance with the family and are in touch with the relevant organisations and authorities."

Ms Coriam's family contacted their local MP after being alerted to their daughter's disappearance by Disney.

Mr Mosley, City of Chester MP, said it was too soon to speculate about what may have happened to the recent graduate.

"The family just want to make sure there is a full investigation and they want the ship thoroughly searched and to find out what has happened to their daughter," he said.

"Interpol are obviously involved and Bahamas Maritime Authority - they are going to be searching the ship from top to bottom and they just want answers."

Her parents, Micheal and Ann, flew out to Los Angeles on Thursday.

A spokesperson for Disney Cruises said: "We have conducted a thorough and comprehensive inspection of the ship and spoken with the crew member's colleagues to gather as much information as possible."

Both the Mexican Navy/US Coast Guard have been conducting searches since Rebecca's disappearance and the Bahamian Maritime Authority is leading an investigation.

Update 31 March 2011:
We are saddened to report that Miss Coriam is still missing. After a thorough investigation, the official search at sea and on board has been called off, and investigators have concluded that there is no evidence of foul play. Her family have since launched an appeal to try to find out what happened. Speaking to The Chronicle, Rebecca’s uncle, John Jennings, said: “If anyone knows anything please get in touch, someone somewhere on that ship must know what happened.”

I hope that there is a happy outcome, but it looks like it will not be. Glad to see that everyone are pulling the stops out to find out what happened.
EDNA

This was on our local news and it is completely out of character for this lady to just disappear like that. Felt so sorry for her family, her sister was so upset..Carol

As a crew member I don't understand how the ship could have sailed without her? While ships won't wait for crew who return late to ship Disney would have known at the gangway that she'd failed to return. At that time calls would have been made around the ship for her to report to the gangway in case she'd got on board and failed to swipe her crew card either by accident or because of a technical malfunction.
Once the call had gone out and she'd not made herself known then the port agent would have been informed and he would have made enquiries shoreside as to her whereabouts. Whatever happened Disnay would have HAD TO HAVE KNOWN that she was or wasn't on board PRIOR to departure.

What you say would hold true if Rebecca had "swiped out" and gone ashore. However, if she had not then there would have been no suspicion that she was not on board until failing to show for her next shift.

Fingers crossed she's ok. Her parents must be out of their minds with worry. My thoughts and prayers go out to them all.

Does anyone have any up to date information? It must be such a worry for her parents and family.

QUOTE:

As a crew member I don't understand how the ship could have sailed without her? While ships won't wait for crew who return late to ship Disney would have known at the gangway that she'd failed to return. At that time calls would have been made around the ship for her to report to the gangway in case she'd got on board and failed to swipe her crew card either by accident or because of a technical malfunction.
Once the call had gone out and she'd not made herself known then the port agent would have been informed and he would have made enquiries shoreside as to her whereabouts. Whatever happened Disnay would have HAD TO HAVE KNOWN that she was or wasn't on board PRIOR to departure.

She disappeared from the ship- she was captured on CCTV making a phone call to a (girl) colleague and that was the last time she was seen.
She was described as 'upset' but calmed down during the phone call. She was nowhere to be found when she failed to show up for her scheduled work shift.

Bahamian Police ( the ship is Bahamas registered) have concluded their 'investigation' and say no foul play was involved.
Update: Disney Wonder Returns to Los Angeles; Crewmember Still Missing - Disney Cruise Line

QUOTE:

Bahamian Police ( the ship is Bahamas registered) have concluded their 'investigation' and say no foul play was involved.
Update: Disney Wonder Returns to Los Angeles; Crewmember Still Missing - Disney Cruise Line

I read in the paper that as the ship is registered in the Bahamas, the investigation was conducted by the police from the Bahamas. Not knowing anything about maritime law, I was amazed that should be the case when the ship sailed the West Coast of the USA probably homing from a US port and was, of course, nowhere the Bahamas. The report said one officer carried out the investigation and many that had been onboard knew nothing about her disappearance unless they read about in the papers.

There are many cruise ships registered in the Bahamas, Malta etc and it is quite a shock to find that a small country with far less facilities than countries such as the USA should be handling the enquiries.