A beloved gay pop singer from Germany is believed to be dead after jumping off a cruise ship and into the raging waters below over the weekend.
Daniel Küblböck is a gay German pop singer and reality star. He rose to fame after coming in third Pop Idol, a spinoff of American Idol, and later competed on Big Brother and Let’s Dance.
33-year-old Küblböck was on an Aida cruise ship bound from Hamburg to New York when an eyewitness says he jumped from a fifth floor balcony while off the coast of Newfoundland on Sunday.
Related: Lawyer Suggests Man Who Fell From Cruise Ship Was Taunted By Antigay Crew Members
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In a statement, Aida Cruises spokesman confirmed the incident happened and said the ship immediately returned to land afterwards:
The cruise ship AIDAluna was on the sea route to Newfoundland when a person jumped overboard in the early hours of September 9 2018. The captain and crew of AIDAluna have immediately taken all necessary rescue measures, in close coordination with the local competent authorities. A cabin check was performed, which confirmed that a male guest was missing. The missing person is Daniel Kaiser-Küblböck. The ship was stopped as a precautionary measure and returned to the spot where the incident was accepted. The search continues. AIDA Cruises fully cooperates with the authorities and works hard to find the missing person. As soon as further information is available, we will make it available.
Canadian coast guard airplanes and helicopters conducted an intensive search for Küblböck but were unable to locate him.
Last month, Küblböck posted a cryptic message to fans on Facebook talking about his struggles with mental illness.
“Dear fans, unfortunately I am still mentally and physically not getting better,” the letter, which has since been deleted read. “I have yet to cope with this pain of the last few months.”
grahambower
Today is World Suicide Prevention Day. Anyone reading this who feels they need some support should know they are not alone. If you want to speak to someone without judgement, call your local support line – details here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_suicide_crisis_lines
OzJosh
I hate to break it to you, but American Idol is a spin-off from Pop Idol, not the other way around.
SoCalDave
Wow thank god for this pivotally important correction, only now can everyone go on with their lives.
batesmotel
This is tragic. Where were his family and friends and those around him. Was he on the ship alone. This story is really bare.