A passenger aboard a recent Royal Caribbean International cruise has died after an unfortunate accident in Roatan, Honduras. The 52-year old man had jumped into the water from a high dock and struck his head, leaving him unconscious ultimately leading to his death on what was to have been a happy spring break trip with his family.
Diving Accident in Honduras
Mississippi native and Texas resident Eddie Rucker, his wife Laura, and their four children were aboard Royal Caribbean’s Allure of the Seas when the tragedy occurred. The cruise had departed Galveston, Texas, on Sunday, March 12, 2023 for a 7-night Western Caribbean sailing.
Roatan, Honduras was the first scheduled port of call, after first spending two days at sea en route to the popular port of call.
In Roatan, Rucker climbed onto a wooden pier structure to jump off into the water, but apparently struck his head which rendered him unconscious. When he did not resurface after several minutes, his family alerted authorities.
Emergency personnel responded and attempted to resuscitate Rucker, but without success, and he was pronounced dead.
“While ashore in Roatan, Honduras, a guest sailing on board Allure of the Seas sadly passed away. Royal Caribbean International is providing support and assistance to the guest’s loved ones at this time,” a Royal Caribbean spokesperson said in a statement about the incident to Newsweek.
Read Also: Do Cruise Ships Have Morgues?
There is no indication that Rucker was participating in any shore tour at the time, nor is it clear whether there is appropriate signage indicating whether or not visitors are permitted to access the structure Rucker jumped off.
Other cruise travelers who have visited the same area have reported witnessing people jump from the same structure many times. While the structure appears abandoned and unused today, it may once have been part of a zip line or similar attraction.
Visiting Honduras Aboard Allure of the Seas
The Oasis-class Allure of the Seas is homeported in Galveston through mid-October 2023. From Texas, the 225,282-gross-ton vessel offers 7-night round trip Western Caribbean sailings.
Each voyage first spends two days at sea, then visits Roatan, Honduras as well as Costa Maya and Cozumel in Mexico on three successive days. The last full day of each cruise is another day at sea before the vessel arrives back in Galveston.
Mahogany Bay, Isla Roatan is a very popular cruise destination, visited not only by Royal Caribbean ships but also by vessels from Carnival Cruise Line, Princess Cruises, Norwegian Cruise Line, Virgin Voyages, TUI Cruises, P&O Cruises, and other cruise lines. More than one million cruise guests visit Roatan each year.
The epitome of a tropical destination, the island offers a variety of amazing activities for visitors, including multiple beaches with snorkeling, kayaking, paddle boats, and other watersports available. Catamarans, nature tours, swimming with dolphins, and visiting a local monkey sanctuary are other popular tour options.
Allure of the Seas will leave Galveston after the October 15, 2023 cruise. The ship will then reposition to Port Canaveral, where it will offer a variety of 3- and 4-night cruises to The Bahamas, including stops at Royal Caribbean’s private island destination, CocoCay.
Cruise Hive’s thoughts are with Rucker’s family and friends, as well as the crew members of Allure of the Seas, during this very difficult time.