On April 13, 2018, a family vacation took a tragic turn when 24-year-old Cameron Evan Booth, a male from Virginia, disappeared while on a Royal Caribbean cruise. He was aboard the Anthem of the Seas with his family, returning from a trip to the Bahamas. In the afternoon, at approximately 3:45 p.m., as the ship was off the coast of Chincoteague, Virginia, Cameron went overboard. Reports indicate that he became upset after seeing a social media post just before the incident.
The ship's surveillance cameras captured his fall into the ocean.
The crew of the Anthem of the Seas immediately initiated a search, and another nearby Royal Caribbean ship joined the effort. The ship turned around to retrace its path as announcements were made asking passengers to assist in looking for him. About an hour and a half after Cameron went into the water, the U.S. Coast Guard arrived to take over the search, employing helicopters and boats to scan the vast expanse of the ocean. The cruise ships were eventually released to continue their journey to Bayonne, New Jersey. The Coast Guard continued their search efforts overnight and into the next morning.
Despite the extensive search by both the cruise line and the Coast Guard, no sign of Cameron was ever found. The search was officially called off around 11:00 a.m. the following day. His body was never recovered, and he is still considered a missing person. While the circumstances leading up to him going overboard remain a painful subject, his parents do not believe he would have intentionally ended his life and consider the fall to have been an accident. The case is a heartbreaking reminder of a young life lost at sea, with a family left without closure. The Fairfax County Police Department is the investigating agency for this case.Last Seen: Apr 13, 2018
