In a tragic flip of occasions, a passenger who went overboard throughout “The 80s Cruise” has not been discovered three days after final being seen and has been declared useless.
“It’s with damaged hearts that we share the unhappy information that Kimberly Burch has handed away,” the visitor’s household shared on social media.
“She was a beloved daughter, sister, sister-in-law, and aunt. She might be enormously missed by all that knew and liked her,” the put up continued.
“We ask for prayers throughout this time for our household as we attempt to wrap our minds round this heartbreaking tragedy.”
Burch, 56, was crusing together with her fiancée, Taime Downe, lead singer of the rock band Sooner Pussycat, one of many performing acts in the course of the annual chartered cruise celebrating the tunes of the Nineteen Eighties.
The voyage occurred on Royal Caribbean’s Explorer of the Seas, with greater than 40 musical performances scheduled, together with these by Adam Ant, Christopher Cross, Males at Work, Warrant, and Sheila E.
In a closing social media put up from the ship on its March 2, 2025, departure date, Burch shared a selfie with Downe, captioned, “We made it aboard @the80scruise.”
Preliminary reviews say Downe and his band had completed their set 90 minutes earlier than the incident, and revealed Burch and Downe could have gotten into an argument following his set.
It’s alleged Burch jumped overboard from a balcony cabin on Deck 8 shortly after 10 p.m.
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Passengers aboard the three,286-passenger vessel reported “Oscar! Oscar! Oscar!” – the decision for “man overboard” – round 11 p.m., because the band Squeeze was performing.
Because the music got here to an abrupt cease, so did Explorer of the Seas.
Its rescue crew, joined by crew from Norwegian Cruise Line’s Norwegian Pearl, which was crusing close by, looked for Burch within the waters about 20 miles south of Freeport, Bahamas.
The ships had been relieved by rescue groups from the US Coast Guard, the Royal Bahamas Protection Pressure, and an AIRMIA MH-65 rescue helicopter, however none had been in a position to find Burch.
“Our crew instantly launched a search and rescue effort, is working with native authorities, and we’re offering help and help to the visitor’s household throughout this troublesome time,” Royal Caribbean launched in a press release.
“To respect the privateness of our visitor’s household, we’ve got no extra particulars to share,” it continued.”
Bahamian authorities are actually investigating Burch’s loss of life. Her mom informed TMZ that she didn’t really feel her daughter deliberately harm herself.
Chartered Nostalgia
“The 80s Cruise” just isn’t related to Royal Caribbean. As an alternative, it’s a chartered occasion operated by Leisure Cruise Productions, based mostly in St. Louis, Missouri.
The 7-day cruise from Miami departed on March 2 and continues to be crusing its scheduled itinerary that included visits to Nassau, Bahamas; San Juan, Puerto Rico; and Royal Caribbean’s personal vacation spot, Labadee, Haiti.
It isn’t anticipated to return to Miami till March 9, with passengers remaining on board having fun with the ninth crusing of the “final 80s celebration.”
One in all many themed cruises organized by Leisure Cruise Productions, others voyages have sailed efficiently with out incident, together with “The 90s Cruise,” a Comedian-Con Cruise, the Excessive Seas Rally, and a Star Trek-themed voyage.
A tenth-anniversary 80s voyage can also be deliberate from Port Canaveral, which can happen February 27 to March 6, 2026, aboard Royal Caribbean’s Journey of the Seas.
That crusing options musical friends Bret Michaels, Billy Ocean, Nile Rodgers & Stylish, Berlin, OMD, Taylor Dayne, Sugarhill Gang, Quiet Riot, and Glass Tiger.
Leisure Cruise Productions is one in all a string of themed cruise operators delivering followers a possibility to sail with musicians, celebrities, and different notable figures.
The occasions characteristic meet-and-greets, photograph ops, themed occasions, and stay performances. The corporate has not issued a press release on Burch’s loss of life.
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