Heartbreaking final message 23-year-old cruise ship passenger sent to wife before falling overboard
A 23-year-old cruise ship passenger sent a heartbreaking text to his wife before he fell overboard and was declared missing.
Liam Jones, from Scotland, had joined his family on board the MSC Euribia for a luxury seven-day trip around Europe for his mom's birthday.
The ship left Southampton in the UK on 16 March and was bound for Amsterdam in The Netherlands, where it would make a pit stop before visiting Germany, France and Belgium.
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Jones, a social work student, had said goodbye to his wife, 20-year-old Sophia Mcphee, on 14 March to go and meet his family in Glasgow before they set off on their trip.
He boarded the boat, but went missing from the deck before it arrived in The Netherlands.
The cruise operator confirmed the disappearance of a passenger and the ship returned to Southampton, where police got on board.
Following Jones' disappearance, Mcphee told The Daily Record she had received a message from Jones' sister to say there had been an accident on board.
"I was first contacted by his sister on Sunday," she said. "She said there had been an accident and Liam 'wasn't coming back'.
"She then said she had seen CCTV and he'd gone overboard. I've not had any contact from anyone since."
Mcphee described herself as feeling 'lost' in the wake of Jones' disappearance, and recalled the last text message she'd received from him.
In the text, Jones told his wife he was feeling seasick.
"He's just...gone," Mcphee said of her husband. "I'm never going to see him again. I'm devastated. I have so many questions, and I'm not getting any answers to what's happened."
Mcphee claimed she'd struggled to get in touch with MSC Cruises, which said in a statement to UNILAD that it will 'refrain from disclosing any additional information' to the public out of respect for the family's privacy.
A spokesperson for the company said: "A passenger on board MSC Euribia went overboard on 16 March as the ship was sailing to Hamburg. This was reported to the authorities.
"The police in Southampton boarded the vessel on 22 March and investigated on behalf of the coroner. We are deeply saddened by this news and our thoughts are with the family at this very difficult time."
The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office has said it is supporting Jones' family following the incident and is in contact with local authorities in The Netherlands.
Emily Brown