Sunday Independent - March 19, 2006 By LARISSA NOLAN
THE family of the teenager who fell to her death from a cruise ship are offering a reward of more than €200,000 for the recovery of her body.
Lynsey O'Brien, 15, died when she fell overboard from a balcony, after downing a ****tail of alcohol at the ship's bar. The tragic accident happened 20 miles off the Mexican coast, but her body has never been recovered. Lynsey's father Paul O'Brien has now announced a $250,000 (€205,000) pay-out for anyone who helps recover her body.
Parents Paul and Sandra, along with her sisters Imelda and Kelly, and brother Dean, have not had the opportunity of burying their beloved Lynsey, who died in January. They have had a funeral service for her and there was a "burial at sea" on board the ship, the Costa Magica, which had sailed out from Fort Lauderdale in Florida. A priest celebrated mass and the family dropped floral wreaths and single roses into the sea.
The exact circumstances of Lynsey's death are still unclear. What is known is that she downed at least six ****tails and shots in the bar of the cruise ship in the space of just over an hour. Her parents discovered her in a drunken state and put her to bed, saying they would deal with her drinking in the morning. But they had no sooner entered their bedroom next door when they heard Lynsey's little sister screaming for help. They maintain that Lynsey had been getting sick over the bedroom balcony when she fell.
Dad Paul wants to see stricter laws enforced to ensure that children cannot be served alcohol, especially on board such cruises. He said: "My daughter would be here now if she hadn't been served alcohol. It is alcohol that destroys families. It was supposed to be a holiday ship. I let my guard down once in my life and my child died."
But there has been no open investigation into the death, which happened on board the ship belonging to a company called Carnival Corporations. The FBI says it has no role because Lynsey was not a US citizen. And because there is no body, there can be no inquest.
Those close to the O'Briens say Mr O'Brien is devoting his energy to making someone accountable for his daughter's death. Her mother Sandra said this is typical of her husband. "He was always like that," she said. "Now he's like that but with grief added on." Since Lynsey's death, she said, the family have not been able to eat or sleep properly.
A group called International Cruise Victims have joined together to support those who have lost family members on board the holiday ships. They recently made their case in front of US Congress and a representative of the O'Brien family told Congress the details of Lynsey's case.
The Taoiseach has ordered a Department of Foreign Affairs investigation into her death
