Passenger Dies After Running Amok on Cruise Ship Off LA
A passenger ran amok and injured two crewmembers aboard the cruise ship Navigator of the Seas last week, then died following a security intervention, according to fellow passengers.
On December 13, one hour after Navigator of the Seas departed the San Pedro cruise terminal at the Port of Los Angeles, a passenger began to harass and threaten crewmembers and passengers in a belowdecks berthing area. A cell phone video taken by a bystander and provided to Fox News shows the man attempting to kick down a door in an apparent attempt to reach a crewmember who had taken refuge on the other side.
"The gentleman that was drunk said that he was gonna kill us, and then he started chasing us down the hallway," passenger Christifer Mikhail told the local Fox News affiliate station in Los Angeles. The man was cursing and using racially-charged language, Mikhail said.
Mikhail was aboard Navigator of the Seas for a family outing, and he encountered the unruly guest - identified as Michael Virgil, 35 - when he went below. At first he thought that the man's behavior was a stunt, but soon realized that everyone nearby was running for cover. According to Mikhail, Virgil punched one crewmember and kicked another in the face, knocking him backwards.
The video shows that the ship's security team arrived and cordoned off the hallway while Virgil attacked a locked closet door. The responders waited for him to expend more of his energy; during this period, Virgil removed his shirt. After he quieted down a bit, the security team moved in and bound him with towels and zip-ties, the video shows.
At some point after his detention on Friday, Virgil died. The cause of death has not been released.
The incident occurred offshore, and the FBI has jurisdiction over the investigation.
Virgil's family told media that the behavior was out of character for him. In passing, he leaves behind his fiancée and seven-year-old son, who were both on the cruise with him at the time of the altercation.
"We are saddened by the passing of one of our guests," Royal Caribbean said in a statement. "We offered support to the family and are working with authorities on their investigation."
Top image: Navigator of the Seas, 2014 (file image courtesy Ahecht / CC BY SA 4.0)