Tragedy struck on a Royal Caribbean cruise ship Friday when a gay passenger fell overboard.
The incident occurred at sea about 17 miles east of the Turks and Caicos Islands. Newlywed 35-year-old Bernardo Albaz (pictured) was videotaped clinging to a lifeboat after slipping off a balcony on the Oasis of the Sea ship. The video shows Albas hanging on for about a minute before plunging into the water, where it is presumed he drowned.
Intial reports suggested he jumped overboard in a suicide attempt, but his lawyer tells a different story.
Attorney Mike Winkleman said Albaz and his husband, Eric, who were married about a year ago, were repeatedly harassed by Royal Caribbean crew members during their stay on the ship. According to Winklemen, several crew members directed antigay remarks at the couple like “Hi, lipstick.”
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According to NBC Miami, Albaz was at one of the ship’s bars on Friday when a crew member made yet another antigay comment. And that’s when Albaz decided he had had enough.
“Bernardo ended up getting in a huge altercation and ended up in his cabin where he was furious,” Winkleman said. “Ultimately, Royal Caribbean security came to the scene.”
Things got heated and, as a result, Winkleman said, “Bernardo [fell] off his balcony onto the life boat area.”
Video of Albas clinging desperately to the edge of the lifeboat was uploaded to YouTube. In it, other passengers and crew could be seen trying to help.
“Because of you, this happened!” Albas could be heard shouting. “Let go of me! Get off of me!”
Then he lost his grip, slipping to his death. His husband could be heard screaming in the background.
“There clearly appears to be a negligent rescue that was undertaken,” Winkleman continued. “In my eyes, more importantly than that is the antigay remarks that were made against these two gentlemen.”
In a statement, Royal Caribbean said it was “deeply saddened” by the event but maintained that Albaz intentionally went over the side of the ship and that no crew members were to blame.
“Our onboard security team responded to the guest’s stateroom after a neighboring guest complained about a domestic dispute on the guest’s balcony,” the statement read. “Our staff did not have a physical altercation with the guest and were unable to prevent his jumping from the stateroom balcony.”
“We will continue to provide assistance to the family as well as law enforcement.”
The U.S. Coast Guard suspended its search for Albaz on Saturday after a search by two boats as well as airplane and helicopter crews were unable to locate him after covering more than 930 nautical square miles.
“We would like to extend our deepest condolences to the loved ones and all that have been affected by this tragedy,” said Captain Todd Coggeshall, the chief of response management for the Coast Guard 7th District.
h/t: Daily Mail
Stache99
Something’s not adding up. I don’t see how some anti-gay harassment lead up to this. In the video it looked like he was just resisting any help.
In today’s age of videoing everything and passengers everywhere it shouldn’t be too difficult to confirm his story though.
Masc Pride
Was it Albaz or Albas? You could at least get the guy’s name right, Graham. Sounds like he jumped. If he really was shouting it was the crew’s fault, that makes sound like he did it intentionally. Whether the some crew members made snide remarks or not, some crew members also tried to help him after he jumped. There’s a lot of mental illness in this community, and it seems like Bernardo’s reactions were rather manic. Most people would just complain to the staff and/or write a letter to the company demanding an apology and some type of compensation.
Richard Goodnight
The truth is probably somewhere in between. I have been on many cruises, including Royal and the Oasis, and NEVER experienced any homophobia from any crew member or passenger. To be on a 7 day cruise and say that you experienced homophobia to the extreme that it made you want to kill yourself? Sounds like there is more to the story.
stranded
Hard to tell, every outlet i found is using the same dark video with no sound. It’s hard to tell what’s happening.
BJ McFrisky
Um, he didn’t fall, he jumped, as evidenced by him ordering the rescuers to stay away.
And if he jumped due to a plebian employee saying “Hi, Lipstick,” then he was mentally ill.
Case closed.
AndYouWillDeal
Absolutely ridiculous. So gay taunting leads someone to throw themselves off a balcony? LMAO, cases like this make it hard not to believe being homosexual is a mental illness, ridiculous, loonies like that give the whole community a bad name as weaklings and victims.
CWM85
While anti gay comments are hurtful… someone killing themselves is a whole other issue. Somewhere mentally this guy decided he had enough and lost his grip of life, sanity. I was bullied bad in middle school and high school. And yes I wanted to skip school but never once wanted to commit suicide. People’s words you can get pass by doing well and having confidence in yourself. Sorry this guy made a horrible decision and his loved ones to mourn him.
Avery Alvarez
I’m finding it hard to bite the lawyer’s version of events.
So, he scuffled a couple times with the crew, and the last time he decided to throw himself off the balcony? And he did this because the crew were for some reason being extensively homophobic towards him?
Hmmm, I don’t know about that…
MinnesotaNotNice
I was intrigued enough to read what I could find from several mainstream media news outlets and I come away with the feeling that there’s a lot to this story that is missing and which will not be provided because of the death of this man. My partner and I have done more than half a dozen cruises with Royal Caribbean and while we don’t hang on each other or act inappropriately in public, it’s clearly evident to anyone with half a brain in between their ears that we are a gay couple. We’ve run across so many gay cruise ship employees on each cruise that we’ve taken, that it would be hard to swing a dead cat and not hit one. I just don’t buy this story as it is laid out. The man had been drinking some degree as it was stated he had been in one of the ship’s bars. Yes, there was probably some incident with a crew member where words were exchanged, but after that it gets very implausible. Why did the victim retreat out to the balcony at all? Where was his partner to help diffuse whatever situation was going on at the time? One man is dead and another is grieving for his lost partner….sad all the way around.
DDstar1me
The facts are very blurry. Yet, somehow someone has found a way to give this story legs.
Jim Corbett
Well said Richard Goodnight
Giancarlo85
@CWM85: JEez. Do you always have something to say? Do you know everything? It seems to me you infest this site at all hours a day. You don’t know what was going through this guy’s head so stop trying to assume anything.
CWM85
Lol Gian attacks me but ignores other comments questioning this guys state of mind. Gotcha cutie… lol
alphacentauri
It’s very sad that it seems as though this guy killed himself. 🙁 My condolences to his husband and their families.
Billy28
I have no idea what transpired, but I do know that video was really disturbing and I can’t erase it from my mind. Rest in peace.
Will L
As several have said before, this doesn’t sound Kosher. If you are out enough to be married, “Hi, Lipstick” would NOT normally drive you over the edge. Sounds like someone is trying to get money out of Royal Caribbean.
JPinNC
Its terrible that a man lost his life… but come on. I believe it was an accident of falling over the railing. Not suicide and not caused by “taunts” from crew members. The lawyer is looking for a payday to settle a claim.
Baba Booey Fafa Fooey
@AndYouWillDeal: you think that anyway, toots.
DarkZephyr
None of us knows what actually happened. He didn’t sound happy to be where he was in the video I watched and sounds to me like he blamed a member of staff for his predicament before he fell to his doom. I heard him shouting at the staff member to let go of him and leave him alone. So SOMETHING involving the staff happened. I am just very curious as to what.
Glücklich
God! I shouldn’t have watched.
Was it necessary for the AU-NZ passenger to upload the video?
As unlikely as it is for my husband or I to be in such a situation I’d be losing my shit, too, like Bernardo’s husband. Ugh! {SHUDDERS} I’m not even crazy about his riding his bicycle all over town.
Captain Obvious
It’s weird to make assumptions and narrate a story like this when none of us were there. Some people freak out if any of us question someone’s sexuality, but can turn around and rule something a suicide knowing next to nothing about what actually happened. Sheesh.
DarkZephyr
@Captain Obvious: Yeah, it didn’t look or sound like a suicide to me. The husband in the background yelling “don’t let go of him!” sounded desperate and the guy himself sounded hysterical and as a result not thinking too clearly, but not legitimately suicidal.
DarkZephyr
I think its wrong as hell to peg what COULD be unclear thinking due to hysteria and fear as mental illness or suicidal tendencies and a desire to die.
Daniel-Reader
The words from the man could be interpreted as wanting them to get away from him if they are the ones who threw him off. As if they are trying to finish the job. It is really disturbing.
DarkZephyr
@Daniel-Reader: I totally agree. This story has been haunting me.
Giancarlo85
@CWM85: Nobody knows what he was thinking. So maybe we should just stop assuming anything.