PHILIPSBURG–Authorities are searching for a 74-year-old woman who went missing last week Thursday, December 22, from the Cunard cruise ship Queen Mary 2 that was destined for St. Maarten. The ship is on a twelve-day cruise that left New York on Thursday bound for the Caribbean.

Detectives in St. Maarten were called on board the cruise liner docked at the cruise facility in Pointe Blanche on Monday, December 26, at approximately 10:30pm. On their arrival, detectives spoke with the chief security officer, who said a woman passenger M.T., a resident of Great Britain, was believed to have fallen overboard after leaving the port in New York.

Detectives spoke to her husband, who said he had been awakened by an unknown noise in the cabin. He searched for his wife and found the balcony door open and his wife’s bathrobe discarded by the door. He immediately alerted ship’s personnel. An immediate search on board and at sea was conducted, including viewing video surveillance, but the woman was not located.

St. Maarten was the first port of call; as such, the incident had to be reported to local authorities. The Forensic Department conducted an extensive search and the report will be forwarded to U.S. authorities. The victim has been classified as missing at sea.

The American Coast Guard sent out a plane and helicopter to scour 400 square miles of the ocean, but after finding no signs the search was halted with the woman presumed overboard. The alarm was raised when the ship was around 100 miles Southeast of Atlantic City, New Jersey.

Cunard’s care team is offering every support to the family.

Bron: Daily Herald