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Fox News
04-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Fox News
Royal Caribbean cruise passenger presumed dead after going overboard on ‘80s-themed voyage, family says
A woman is believed to be dead after falling overboard on a Royal Caribbean cruise ship on the first day of the '80s-themed voyage near the Bahamas, her family said. The victim is reportedly Kimberly Burch, the 56-year-old fiancée of Taime Downe, the frontman for the band "Faster Pussycat," Burch's family told Fox News Digital. Burch's sister-in-law, Kellie Burch, said that Downe called their family to share the devastating news, but said her body had not been recovered yet. Passengers had watched Downe's band perform less than 90 minutes before Burch went overboard, one passenger, Casey Markee, wrote on X on Tuesday. A Royal Caribbean Group spokesperson confirmed the incident to Fox News Digital, but had few details to share. "Our crew immediately launched a search and rescue effort, is working with local authorities, and we are providing support and assistance to the guest's family during this difficult time," the statement read. "To respect the privacy of our guest's family, we have no additional details to share." The incident happened on the first night of the seven-day cruise that set sail from Miami on Sunday, March 2. "If you love the 80s — the music, the style, the culture, the excitement, the excess — The 80s Cruise delivers non-stop 80s awesomeness and unique, unforgettable moments for The Ultimate 80s Party!" according to a description of the cruise on the company's website. The cruise planned to include over 50 concerts and live performances as it visited three ports, including Nassau, San Juan and Labadee. The ship was approximately 20 miles away from Freeport, Bahamas, when the incident occurred, a U.S. Coast Guard spokesperson told Fox News Digital, but said that the Royal Bahamas Defense Force is the lead agency investigating. The Royal Bahamas Defense Force could not immediately be reached for comment. The circumstances around how the passenger fell from the ship remain unclear. "Currently on the #RCL Explorer of the Seas for the #80scruise. Unfortunately, we have a 'woman overboard' situation and boats have been deployed. We are currently 80+ miles from Miami at 11pm PST. Not good," Markee wrote in a post on X on March 2. Burch's family confirmed to Fox News Digital that they have been given very few details and are "absolutely heartbroken." "It is with broken hearts that we share the sad news that Kimberly Burch has passed away. She was a beloved daughter, sister, sister-in-law and aunt," Kellie Burch wrote in a tribute on her Facebook page. "She will be greatly missed by all that knew and loved her. We ask for prayers during this time for our family as we try to wrap our minds around this heartbreaking tragedy. We love and miss you Kimberly Burch!!" Kellie Burch told Fox News Digital that despite speaking to the Coast Guard and Nassau Police, the ship had given their family few details. "We don't even know if they have started looking again for her after the weather settled down. We have not been able to speak with anyone from the ship," Burch said. Stepheny Price is a writer for Fox News Digital and Fox Business. She covers topics including missing persons, homicides, national crime cases, illegal immigration, and more. Story tips and ideas can be sent to
Yahoo
04-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Faster Pussycat Singer's Fiancée Kimberly Burch Dies After Going Overboard on '80s-Themed Cruise
Kimblery Burch, the fiancée of Faster Pussycat singer Taime Downe, died Monday after falling overboard during an '80s-themed cruise on Royal Caribbean. Burch's family confirmed the tragic news of her passing in a Facebook post on Tuesday morning. 'It is with broken hearts that we share the sad news that Kimberly Burch has passed away,' her family said in a statement. 'She was a beloved daughter, sister, sister-in-law and aunt. She will be greatly missed by all that knew and loved her. We ask for prayers during this time for our family as we try to wrap our minds around this heartbreaking tragedy. We love and miss you Kimberly Burch!' Burch went overboard around 11 p.m. on Monday, according to media reports. The Explorer of the Seas ship was stopped for several hours while multiple boats nearby searched for the missing woman. The search was then taken over by the U.S. Coast Guard and the ship resumed its scheduled route. Royal Caribbean said in a statement to press, 'Our crew immediately launched a search and rescue effort, is working with local authorities and we are providing support and assistance to the guest's family during this difficult time. To respect the privacy of our guest's family, we have no additional details to share.' Representatives for Royal Caribbean and Faster Pussycat did not return TheWrap's request for comment. Burch was aboard the cruise ship to support Downe and Faster Pussycat, who were set to play. She posted a selfie on Threads with Downe on Monday with the caption, 'We made it aboard @the80scruise.' The hard rock/glam metal band reportedly had a performance on Sunday as well as another show scheduled for Tuesday. Other acts scheduled to perform on the nostalgic cruise were Squeeze, Adam Ant, Tiffany and Men at Work. A spokesperson told TMZ that the accident happened around 20 miles away from Freeport, Bahamas. U.S. Coast Guard search efforts included a helicopter search as well as the Royal Bahamas Defense Force. It remains unclear what caused the incident. The search for Burch's body remains ongoing. An individual who said they were onboard the RCL Explorer of the Seas during the incident said that boats had been deployed after a woman fell from the 8th floor balcony. The guest also said the couple was arguing before the incident. Faster Pussycat was founded in 1985 by Downe, guitarists Greg Steele and Brent Muscat and bassist Kelly Nickels. The hard rock band 'emerged from the '80s Los Angeles glam scene.' The group has gone through various member changes over the years but Downe has remained a constant. They are known for songs like 'Babylon,' 'Bathroom Wall,' 'House of Pain' and 'Nonstop to Nowhere.' Downe and Burch have reportedly been dating for over five years. The post Faster Pussycat Singer's Fiancée Kimberly Burch Dies After Going Overboard on '80s-Themed Cruise appeared first on TheWrap.
Yahoo
04-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Woman Goes Overboard on Royal Caribbean Ship During ‘The 80s Cruise'
A woman went overboard from the Royal Caribbean ship the Explorer of the Seas during the first day of The 80s Cruise, a nostalgia cruise featuring musical acts such as Squeeze, Adam Ant, Tiffany and Men at Work. Multiple sources aboard Explorer of the Seas confirmed to The Hollywood Reporter that a search operation involving several ships was conducted after a woman went overboard around 11 p.m. on March 3. It is unclear what caused the incident. Sources say the Explorer of the Seas continued on with its planned journey with the U.S. Coast Guard taking over the search operation. More from The Hollywood Reporter Inside Vanity Fair's Oscar Party With Winners, Billionaires, Rock Royalty and a Teary Jenna Ortega TV Ratings: Oscars Draw 18M Viewers, Down From 2024 Carl Dean, Dolly Parton's Husband of Nearly 60 Years Who Inspired 'Jolene,' Dies at 82 THR communicated with one passenger, who wished to remain anonymous, about what happened. '[The incident] happened around 11 p.m. Squeeze was the band playing last night. There was an announcement over the PA saying someone went overboard so the ship was going to stop and turn around to try and locate the person.' The passenger added, '[The] ship was stopped for a few hours. Safety boats were deployed with floodlights to illuminate the surrounding area. Another cruise ship nearby had its floodlights on searching as well. My wife spoke with some people on one of the decks saying they heard that it was a woman and it was caught on camera. Can't confirm though. Eventually the ship powered up and off we went. This morning a PA announcement said that the US Coast Guard had taken over the search. We arrived at Nassau, Bahamas a few hours behind schedule. No excursions were canceled. Haven't heard anything since.' In a thread, X user Casey Markee tweeted, 'Currently on the #RCL Explorer of the Seas for the #80scruise. Unfortunately, we have a 'woman overboard' situation and boats have been deployed. We are currently 80+ miles from Miami at 11pm PST. Not good.' In a followup tweet, Markee tweeted, 'It looks like the woman 'jumped' from the balcony of her 8th floor room after an argument with her partner. This is our 15th cruise, and the first time we've actually experienced this.' Additionally, an X user named Alan Smith tweeted, 'Person overboard on Royal Carribean Explorer of the Seas. On the 80s Cruise. Just saw a great show by Squeeze, then it was announced a person is overboard. Ship is stopped and searching. Other nearby ships helping.' THR has reached out to Royal Caribbean and the promoters of The 80s Cruise for comment. The 80s cruise is a nostalgia-laced cruise experience that celebrates the music and culture of the 1980s. The 2025 lineup for the cruise includes the famed musical acts Squeeze, Adam Ant, Tiffany, Christopher Cross, Sheila E., Men At Work, Andy Bell (one half of Erasure), Warrant, Dokken, FireHouse, Information Society, Kurtis Blow, Honeymoon Suite, Faster Pussycat, T'Pau, Naked Eyes, Musical Youth, Sunset Blvd. and The Reflexx. The cruise is set to feature over 50 concerts and fans and guests can also interact with their idols. The 2024 edition of the cruise featured Wang Chung, Air Supply, Soft Cell, The English Beat, Debbie Gibson, The Escape Club and 38 Special. The 7-day roundtrip cruise sets off from Miami and calls at Nassau, San Juan and Puerto Plata. Katherine Turman contributed to this report. Best of The Hollywood Reporter Most Anticipated Concert Tours of 2025: Billie Eilish, Kendrick Lamar & SZA, Sabrina Carpenter and More Hollywood's Highest-Profile Harris Endorsements: Taylor Swift, George Clooney, Bruce Springsteen and More Most Anticipated Concert Tours of 2024: Taylor Swift, Bad Bunny, Olivia Rodrigo and More
