Queen Mary 2: Crew reportedly banned from drinking alcohol after chef 'throws himself overboard'
Testimonies of crew members suggest the 26-year-old chef had been drinking the night before
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Crew members on-board the Queen Mary 2 have reportedly been banned from drinking alcohol after a Chilean chef was suspected of throwing himself overboard.
The Cunard-owned ship was on its way from Southampton to New York when the 26-year-old chef, named locally as Favio Onate Ordenes, disappeared in the early hours of Saturday morning.
Testimonies of crew members quoted in The Telegraph suggest he had been drinking the night before. “He was crying and screaming that he wanted to throw himself off,” one said. “None of his friends believed him or took him seriously.”
The crew woke on Saturday morning to at least four tannoy announcements asking for the chef to report for his shift. Passengers on the liner – which has a capacity for 2,620 people, paying up to £4,849 each – were asked to join the search. But efforts was called off on Sunday night.
The ship continued towards New York, anchoring on Monday in Halifax, the capital of the Canadian province of Nova Scotia. “Alcohol has been banned for crew members and all ‘deck privileges’ have been taken away,” another crew member said, according to the newspaper.
“It’s just so sad. Everyone is incredibly sombre on board.”
Four people from the 1,200-strong crew are understood to have resigned, the crew member said, and told Cunard they do not wish to reboard the ship once it docks in New York on Wednesday.
A spokesman for Cunard said they could not comment on the alcohol ban or circumstances surrounding the death, as the investigation was ongoing.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments