Missing Atlantis gay cruise passenger identified
As previously reported by Elsewhere, a passenger on the Royal Caribbean’s Allure of the Seas cruise ship went overboard near Cozumel, Mexico, during the early morning of Friday, Feb. 3.
The passenger has now been identified as Kenneth John Gemmell (pictured), from Bailieborough, Co Cavan, Ireland.
Gemmell was one of more than 5,000 passengers taking part in a seven-day Caribbean cruise charted by Atlantis Events, which specializes in all-gay cruises. Early reports on the incident said that he fell from ship; however, it is now being reported that Royal Caribbean claims that footage from the ship’s cameras show that Gemmell intentionally went overboard.
Despite an extensive search, Gemmell has not yet been found.
Edward Owens, a writer who covers the cruise industry for Examiner.com, published an article today reporting that Gemmell’s family is seeking additional information:
His family back in Ireland is devastated by his loss, and now they’re trying to put the pieces together as to what happened during the course of the cruise.
They are issuing an appeal to anyone on board the ship who might have met Kenneth during the cruise, to touch base with them. And 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, to this.
The family says that some information has already come their way. One party told them that Kenneth may have been arguing with a ship’s crew member (perhaps a bartender) in one of the bars late Thursday night or early Friday morning. They were also told that the crew member, a man they understood was sharing a room with a Canadian citizen, left the ship in Cozumel.
Because of the lack of information, a family spokesman told examiner.com that some members of the family are finding it hard to accept that Kenneth actually went overboard.
Anyone who has information on this tragedy is asked to email Michael at michael@mhynes.com. The family says they just want to know what happened to their son.
Get Elsewhere in your inbox. Join our mailing list.
Support Metro Weekly’s Journalism
These are challenging times for news organizations. And yet it’s crucial we stay active and provide vital resources and information to both our local readers and the world. So won’t you please take a moment and consider supporting Metro Weekly with a membership? For as little as $5 a month, you can help ensure Metro Weekly magazine and MetroWeekly.com remain free, viable resources as we provide the best, most diverse, culturally-resonant LGBTQ coverage in both the D.C. region and around the world. Memberships come with exclusive perks and discounts, your own personal digital delivery of each week’s magazine (and an archive), access to our Member's Lounge when it launches this fall, and exclusive members-only items like Metro Weekly Membership Mugs and Tote Bags! Check out all our membership levels here and please join us today!
