Vilborg: “I Knew Something Was Wrong”

Alabama Mobile The husband of a Bay Minette woman missing from a cruise ship is talking to News Five for the first time about her disappearance.

by Jessica Taloney

Published: Wed, June 24, 2009 - 5:58 pm CST

For the first time since his wife's disappearance, the husband of a Bay Minette woman missing from a cruise ship is talking to News Five.

Sven Vilborg, who friends call Swede, says he thought his wife was taking a shower when he fell asleep on the first night of what was supposed to be a five night cruise.

"I heard her water turn on," he says. "I was just laying there looking up at the ceiling, and I dozed off."

Vilborg, a life-long mariner, was on the Holiday cruise ship with his wife, Michelle, celebrating her 50th birthday. In the hours before she disappeared, he says they enjoyed dinner and just a couple drinks before calling it a night around 10:30. The next thing he knew the ship was vibrating and coming to a stop.

"I didn't know what was wrong, but I knew something was wrong," says Vilborg, who was surprised that his wife wasn't lying next to him when he woke up.

In a statement from Carnival Cruise Line, officials said a guest on the ship reported hearing a splash, and during a head count of passengers and crew members, Michelle Vilborg was nowhere to be found.

Swede Vilborg says the couple's cabin was on the sixth deck, and the cruise ship's security personnel told him they believe his wife went overboard the tenth deck.

Swede Vilborg, the only person on the ship who knew Michelle, admits he was immediately targeted as a suspect.

"They took three valves of blood," he says, also noting they made him take off his shirt as they took pictures of his neck, back, hands, feet and legs.

When asked Wednesday if he believes he is still a suspect, Vilborg said "yes," but adamantly denied any involvement. He also rejected the idea that his wife commited suicide, saying she was a faithful Christian and had planned activities with her husband for the following day.

The U.S. Coast Guard spent nearly 45 hours searching for Michelle Vilborg in an area 70 miles southwest of Pensacola. The Coast Guard called off its search saying they believed if Michelle was alive in the water they would have found her.

Swede Vilborg says he has no plans for a memorial service for his wife until he has more answers about what happened to her. He says he doesn't feel right having a funeral when she hasn't been pronounced dead.

An FBI spokesperson tells News Five their investigation could take a month to complete.

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SFALresident Says:

Mon, Jun 29, 2009 at 6:00 pm

As far as the interviews - he was on WKRG and interviewed with the Press Register.

SFALresident Says:

Mon, Jun 29, 2009 at 5:58 pm

Swede is a mariner and has been for as long as I have known him (for quite a while). When you live your working life on a boat, I imagine nothing would wake you quicker than a change in the engine. That is what woke him up. Swede had been awake for 23 hours before boarding the ship and I believe it is quite natural to fall asleep.

Michelle was absolutely not sucidal. They were very close. Swede would not hurt a hair on her body.

My problems with Carnival’s story: There is absolutely no way to hear a splash of water from the 10th or the 11th deck. Why did the “guest” who reported the splash disappear? Who was it reported to so the life ring could be thrown? Where are these people? What about all of the people on deck? AL.com had a guest comment that they were in the hot tub, yet they saw nothing but crew members throwing a life ring over the side. If someone threw her over, why didn’t she scream? Why did no one see her between her cabin and the 10th floor? Could it possibly be that someone from the ship took her down rather than up and tried to cover it up by creating a “mysterious” guest with “extraordinary” hearing.

Please keep the Vilborg’s in your prayers. This family is devestated.

laladbreez Says:

Mon, Jun 29, 2009 at 4:08 pm

Sorry but I forgot to ask previously…Is there a certain ALARM that signals on these cruise ships/boats when a person goes overboard that they tell everybody about when you board??? Or is it just because the husband is a tug boat person that he knew about this ALARM and the ship/boat stopping?

laladbreez Says:

Mon, Jun 29, 2009 at 4:04 pm

As I’ve went back and re-read this article in the Press Register [which is his 1st and only public interview], I’ve got concerns now about him not falling asleep but “waking up” when the ship/boat STOPS. How does that wake a person and not a knock at the door? She’s got to come out of the bathroom by opening that door, then opening the cabin door. This has got to make some noise don’t ya think? Then the article states that everyone is in the hallways with an alarm going off MEANING someone has gone overboard. Just how does he know this if he’s been sleeping???

BamaBob Says:

Mon, Jun 29, 2009 at 4:00 pm

Very, very strange story and no way to make much sense of it without a lot more info.

Did the FBI give the family any indication when they would wrap up their investigation?

getreal Says:

Mon, Jun 29, 2009 at 3:56 pm

so apparently she went into the bathroom otherwise him thinking she was in the shower would make no sense. either way i was referring to her being suicidal…. she wouldnt have done anything in the bathroom period if she was going to throw her ownself overboard. no reason to wear make up, use the bathroom, wash her hands…. i was just canceling out suicide as the cause of her disappearence.

laladbreez Says:

Mon, Jun 29, 2009 at 3:50 pm

getreal, the husband stated in his 1st and only interview that even tho he heard the water in the bathroom start…the towels looked un-used!!! This is in the Press Register article on June 24th:
Vilborg, 58, said he believes now that she never took a shower, since all the towels in the bathroom appeared unused.

getreal Says:

Mon, Jun 29, 2009 at 2:30 pm

nobody heard a damn splash…couldnt have… its impossible. if the woman was suicidal, she wouldnt have taken a shower first. if she had expensive jewelry,watch, money, etc. let me tell you….there are plenty of rich old old ladies on cruise ships that have retired and just cruising (literally)... this woman looks like she could get fiesty k?! she may have gotten out of the shower and decided she was restless and went to leave and just as the door closed realized “dang my cigs and key are in there”.... thats very possible. i did it a few times myself on a cruise. maybe after the door closed behind her she tried to wake her husband by knocking and while looking down the hall she witnessed a deckhand stealing or doing something in which they could be fired and they got to her before she could get to anyone else. she couldnt have gotten back off IN THE MIDDLE OF SEA, that theory is ridiculous. since her key was in the room did any check with the area of the ship you go to when you need another key? also there are bars to order drinks everywhere on the cruise ship (except the sides). so that narrows it down since NOBODY SAW A WOMAN GO OVERBOARD, WHICH I MUST SAy I SURE AS HELL DIDNT HANG OUT ON THE SIDE OF THE BOAT AT NIGHT SINCE IT WAS CREEPY AND SEEMED HIGHLY UNSAFE. she sounds like an intelligent woman so i highly doubt that she was on the side of the ship…especially with motion sickness not too mention the views are horrible at night. someone did something

Krickkett Says:

Mon, Jun 29, 2009 at 1:09 pm

Thank you…. That’s what I’m saying!

getreal Says:

Mon, Jun 29, 2009 at 1:05 pm

i want to know how in the hell they did a head count… after reading these post i’m telling you right now head counts in itself probably took an hour. at 11pm do u know how many people are completely wasted???????