A 64-year-old Indian woman who was first reported missing aboard a cruise that she was on with her husband through the Strait of Singapore from Penang was confirmed to be dead, as revealed by her son.
The incident first made news on Monday as the 64-year-old went missing. The couple Reeta and Jakesh Sahani were on their way back to Singapore from Penang in Malaysia. The couple were aboard the cruise ship, "Spectrum of the Seas", and Monday was also the last day of their four-day cruise, according to reports. That Monday morning, her 70-year-old husband Jakesh woke up to find his wife missing from their room, according to reports from the Singaporean paper The Straits Times.
The elderly husband tried to find his wife onboard and informed the ship's crew when he was not able to do so. At the time, the ship was passing through the Strait of Singapore. The crew duly informed the retiree that the ship's overboard detection systems had been alerted to the fact that something had fallen overboard as the vessel passed through the strait.
The retiree tried to locate his wife on the sprawling cruise ship but in vain. He later informed the ship’s crew, who told him the ship’s overboard detection systems had been alerted that something had fallen from the vessel into the Singapore Strait.
The Strait of Singapore is a 113 km long, 19 km wide route between the Strait of Malacca and the South China Sea. Authorities swung into action, the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) said in a statement on Monday that the Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC) Singapore was notified about the incident at about 7:50 a.m.
The family was also notified, and the couple's son Apoorv who did not travel with his parents said that his mother could not swim, and provided updates on a police interview that his father, the husband was made to go through which lasted a couple of hours. The vessel berthed in Singapore to support investigations and search and rescue operations were carried out.
Finally, on Tuesday, the couple's other son took to social media to confirm that his mother had passed away.
“With the footage, we have unfortunately learnt that my mother has passed away,” Vivek Sahani said
The High Commission of India in Singapore said on Tuesday that it has been in touch with the woman’s family since it was informed of the incident.
“We are also in close contact with Singaporean authorities to address related issues and are facilitating legal procedures,” the High Commission said Tuesday night in a statement.
A spokesperson for Royal Caribbean which operates the cruise ship and line said that it had offered all possible help and assistance, worked with local authorities and would continue to provide further relief to the bereaved family. The Indian High Commission said that they had reached out to Royal Caribbean and reiterated that they would remain fully committed to supporting the family during this testing time.
