Coast Guard Ends Search For Teen Who Fell Off Cruise Ship

Florida Key West The Coast Guard has ended its search in the Gulf of Mexico for an 18-year-old from Louisiana who fell overboard during a cruise to celebrate his high school graduation.

by The Associated Press

Published: Wed, May 27, 2009 - 5:05 am CST

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) - The Coast Guard has ended its search in the
Gulf of Mexico for an 18-year-old from Louisiana who fell overboard
during a cruise to celebrate his high school graduation.
The search was called off Tuesday night. The Coast Guard says
Bruce O'Krepki went over the rails of the Carnival Fantasy on
Sunday night about 150 miles southwest of Tampa.
Boats and aircraft searched an area of nearly 5,300 square
miles.
O'Krepki graduated with honors from St. Thomas Aquinas High
School in Hammond, La., where he ran track and played soccer. He
was with about 30 classmates and members of their families on the
ship. His uncle Rick O'Krepki said the teen's parents were among
the chaperones.
The ship had left New Orleans en route to Key West.

(Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

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FordSoren Says:

Tue, Jul 21, 2009 at 11:05 pm

I have been researching similar situations and there is an alarming rate of overboard and missing persons from the Carnival Cruise line just in the last 6 months to a year. My dad went to the location the stalker was trying to get her to and there was an unmarked door at the front of the ship with access to an area at the bow of the boat with no lights and no way for anyone to see or hear you if you screamed. The security also knew it was an employee by the information he had on my niece. This is extremely serious and not being taken care of by the cruise line.

Please pass the word along for anyone traveling Carnival!

FordSoren Says:

Tue, Jul 21, 2009 at 10:59 pm

I would like to hear more about what took place. I have not come across one article explaining how or why it occured. But, after just hearing what happened LAST WEEK to my family that took a recent Carnival Cruise to Mexico, I believe there are more problems with cruise lines security and especially with Carnival. My niece was stalked by an employee the entire week and the security team did nothing to support or resolve the situation. They do not even have security cameras where guests are the most vulnerable. Please read this report from my father on the concerns he encountered and the barriers he faced trying to resolve the threat.
CRUISE SHIP STALKER
CARNIVAL SPLENDOR

There is an employee on the Carnival Splendor that is stalking young female passengers.
On a cruise last week July 12-19, 2009 my Granddaughter was harassed by phone repeatedly over a 5 day period. He tried more than once to get her to meet with him at a place away from the family at the far end of the ship. The world being what it is today, this does not come as a big surprise. BUT GIT THIS!
CARNIVAL SECURITY CAN NOT HELP YOU !
The reason you have not heard very much information or seen any video of the women who have “fallen overboard” or “disappeared” from cruise ships is that
there are no cameras in the areas where guests are most at risk. No fooling. There are plenty of eyes to protect things like the casino, the Photo gallery, the gift shops, and even a few of the bar areas. NO CAMERAS in any of the elevator lobbys (about 40),