PDA

View Full Version : Lynsay O'Brien -Msg from Cruise


awakening2lite
02-26-2008, 11:16 PM
Lynsay O'Brian

Rest in Peace, Our Dear Lynsey...
"The Shiniest Star in the Sky"


http://www.internationalcruisevictims.org/Images/Lynsay_OBrien.jpg

We boarded the ship, Costa Magica (owned by Carnival Cruise Lines), with our four children on the 2nd of January 2006. On the 3rd night of the cruise, our beloved 15-year old daughter, Lynsey, fell overboard and has not been found.

This was supposed to be a cruise of a lifetime… with old friends and their families, but instead, it turned out to be the worst nightmare imaginable. You do not expect to go on a cruise with four children and return with only three…

Lynsey had been served a lethal amount of alcohol, while onboard the ship, as did her 16-year old friend. We had agreed to let Lynsey leave our sight for one hour. When she did not return within that time frame, we began looking for her; however, her older sister, Kelley, was the one who found her. Lynsey was at a bar, which was hidden away on another deck. A middle-aged barman appeared to be engaging her in conversation, while other barmen looked on.

When we finally got Lynsey back into our company, we gave her a large bottle of water to drink. She appeared very quiet, but unfortunately (for us), at that point, we did not realize just how intoxicated she was. (We later found out that the barman, in question, had given Lynsey and her 16-year old friend a couple of drinks “on the house” and also allowed them to smoke cigarettes). Upon learning this, we contacted the Supervisor and bitterly complained that our daughter and her 16-year old friend had been served alcohol.

Shortly thereafter, we took Lynsey to her room. Sandra, my wife, told her that we would speak with her in the morning. I kissed Lynsey “goodnight”, and told her that I loved her… but within a few minutes of leaving her room, my youngest daughter, Imelda, began frantically screaming that Lynsey had fallen overboard.

Lynsey went overboard at approximately 2:00am. It took approximately 15 minutes before the ship began to slow down. By that time, it had travelled quite a distance from the original location where Lynsey had fallen. There was no effort, whatsoever, on behalf of the ship to lower any lifeboats to search for our baby, Lynsey.

There were media reports, indicating that helicopters and lifeboats were searching for Lynsey; but we never saw any evidence of this. The only immediate rescue attempt made was life buoys, tossed by a young man, who had seen Lynsey fall into the ocean.

There are many unanswered questions, but my family and I will not rest until we seek justice for Lynsey!

Our family unit is broken…. We are ALL broken!

We love you dearly, Lynsey, and we know you are watching and smiling down upon us from heaven.

We are desperately seeking the identity of the young gentleman, who cared enough to throw the life buoys into the water, in an attempt to save our baby, Lynsey. We would truly like to speak with you and sincerely thank you for your caring actions and efforts. PLEASE…Contact us.

If you have any information, regarding this, please contact International Cruise Victims.

http://www.internationalcruisevictims.org/LatestMemberStories/Lynsay_OBrien.html

Pinkypoo
02-27-2008, 01:07 AM
Such a pretty girl and a sad sad story.

packy
02-27-2008, 10:39 AM
How sad. And how could media say they sent out search vehicles and yet the family saw no sign of that activity. Very strange.

My condolences to the family.

awakening2lite
03-25-2008, 06:51 PM
By Georgina Brennan

MEXICAN authorities are resuming the search this week for Dublin teenager Lyndsey O’Brien, who went missing from her cruise ship last week.

The 15-year-old cruise passenger of the cruise ship Costa Magica, was reported missing early last Thursday morning in waters off Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula.

O’Brien, who was traveling with her parents and four siblings, was aboard the luxury cruise liner which left Fort Lauderdale New Year’s Day on a week-long Western Caribbean itinerary. The ship returned to Florida on Monday without the teenager.

Her family, assisted by the Department of Foreign Affairs’ Embassy in Mexico are to fly home this week while the search continues.

The ship, owned by Italy’s top cruise company, the Costa Cruise line, was about 80 miles from Cozumel having already made a stop in the Bahamas when Lyndsey’s 11-year-old sister Imelda alerted their parents Paul and Sandra that Lynsey had gone overboard. Her oldest sister Kelly and brother Dean, then alerted the ship’s crew that Lynsey had fallen overboard.

For nine hours the ship circled the area in the hope of finding the young girl, Lynn Torrent, president of Italian based Costa Cruise Lines told the Irish Voice. The Mexican coastguard boats and helicopters were also dispatched for the search, but they did not find her.

“The family was just devastated. We are trying to help in this difficult situation,” Torrent said. “We have a full investigation going on,” she added.

Outside the O’Brien home in the Dublin suburb of Terenure, locals held a vigil for the missing teen. School children from the O’Brien girl’s school Loreto Beaufort attended a church service for Lyndsey before classes resumed at the high school following the Christmas break.

Principal at Loreto Liz Cogan where all three sisters attend classes said everyone was feeling the O’Brien’s pain. “She was a popular, great youngster, a very vibrant girl. We all know her family very well. It’s a very difficult time for all of us,” she told the Irish Voice.

Lyndsey’s disappearance is not being investigated by the FBI because she was not an American citizen but it is the latest case in a series of cruise ship incidents that prompted a congressional hearing into cruise ship safety last month.

http://www.irishabroad.com/news/irishinamerica/news/lostoverboard.asp

packy
03-26-2008, 07:50 AM
Now I still wonder if they did or did not do a proper search with coast guard boats and helicopters. The family had to be in such a grief state that they may not have registered just what was going on. Hope they can find the man who threw th life buoys.

Does anyone who has traveled on a cruise think it is pretty easy to fall overboard?