The Missing Passengers
Since the beginning of 13 people were lost on cruises. Association wants to force reconnaissance of deaths.

(Translated by Google.)

PETER MICHALSKI
LONDON: "A nice older gentleman," to one remember fellow passengers. "End
70 or early 80, and Englishman apparently alone.At the stop the "Balmoral" (43 537 GRT) in Stavanger. He was still on the largest Fred Olsen-liners having been seen. A Day later he was one.

The suspected suicide Man, in his cabin a "note" was found, is at least 13 fatal falls from a luxury liner for Beginning of the year. Cruises disconcerting to travel frequently in the Death. Since early 2000, according to surveys of Canadian sociology professor Ross A. Klein 159 passengers and Crew members went overboard; only 33 were rescued. Experts suspect a higher number of unreported cases.

To business-damaging headlines avoid, avoid shipping like a missing person report. Even at the Seatrade Cruise Fair, on Saturday in Hamburg End goes, the issue of "missing at sea, "rather hushed. Suicide, accident, crime - mostly stay the course and cause of death crash so unsettled as the fate Sabine L., 62, from Hamburg-Wellingsbüttel 2006 by the board of "Queen Elizabeth 2" disappeared, or The 40-year-old "Costa Atlantica" - Passenger in Bad Honnef in the Aegean. In the same year. "In the cruise industry there is an accountability problem, " said Kendall Carver, 74 "Once you go on board, you 're currently you're on foreign soil and the police of the Third World country delivered, registered in the ship is. "Carver, a former insurance boss is chairman of the International Cruise Victims Association (ICV) in Sammamish (Washington State). 

Led to the creation of the ICV was the disappearance of his daughter Merrian, 40, on the second day of an Alaskan Cruise in August 2004 in the Papenburg built "Mercury" (77 713 BRT), which now "My Ship 2" means. "When she misses the cabin steward reported, showed his superior to him, 'Take care of your work and forget it, '"says the father.Neither the FBI nor the members have been informed. At the end of Cruise stuffed the staff Merrian I gave them in garbage bags and a charitable organization. "

The body of the petite woman was never found, her death never clarified. On broader front, however, Carver, working with Professor Klein, Demonstrate success. His association, the now members of more than 20 Countries belong, has become a influential group developed on ICV initiative began, the U.S. Congress, Put pressure on shipping companies. 2010 signed by President Barack Obama the Cruise Vessel Security and Safety Act.

According to this cruise company legally obliged disappearance of each - and crime to - Americans within four Hours reported. "The FBI and U.S. Coast Guard are now empowered to investigate, regardless of where the ship is registered is, "said Carver.

Now his organization is fighting to similar legislation in Europe. At a meeting with the British Secretary of State for Shipping, Mike Penning claimed, and Michael Annmaria Coriam from the North of England Chester recently, the cruise industry to "decent regulation safety at sea to force ". Their Daughter Rebecca, 24, had as a child Entertainer on the registered in the Bahamas "Disney Wonder" hired.
The ship was en route from Los Angeles to Mexico, as the young woman 22 March disappeared - without a trace until a mysterious withdrawal from their Bank account on 19 April. "Because cruise ships full of Tourists are happier, weigh in the people on board into a false sense of security, "said Rebecca's father, 57th "It will disappear on such Ships with dozens of people.

Crimes under the carpet incidents not properly swept and determined. Although passengers and 2400 945 crew members on, Disney Wonder 'were, is merely a single official in the Bahamas with the Investigation is concerned. We will never to learn what happened to Rebecca.

To read the original article in German, click here.

-- Edited by News Editor on Saturday 1st of October 2011 10:51:09 AM