According to a report, a passenger on a Royal Caribbean cruise ship was detained for allegedly being violent towards crew members on his ship, and then died shortly after.
Fox 11 reports the passenger is being identified as Michael Virgil, and his family claims he died shortly after being injected "with some sort of sedative."
A video showed the man attempting to break down the door of a cabin, along with threatening other passengers and assaulting two crew members.
The incident took place on Navigator of the Seas as it was about to start a cruise from Los Angeles (San Pedro) to Ensenada, Mexico.
According to the report, Virgil allegedly kicked one Royal Caribbean crew member in the face and punched the other.
Christifer Mikhail told FOX 11, "The gentleman that was drunk said that he was gonna kill us, and then he started chasing us down the hallway."
Mikhail sailed that the crew member who was punched was hit with such force that he "flew a couple feet back."
Several Royal Caribbean security team members were able to eventually detain a tired-out Virgil by using zip ties, handcuffs and either bear or pepper spray, according to the bystander and his video.
Virgil's family says he was injected with a sedative and died within an hour.
Royal Caribbean confirmed the man's passing in a statement to Fox 11, "We are saddened by the passing of one of our guests."
"We offered support to the family and are working with authorities on their investigation."
Virgil’s devastated family told FOX 11 that his shocking outburst was uncharacteristic of the dad, who was on the cruise with his 7-year-old autistic son and his fiancé.
“He didn’t deserve to die over it,” a relative told the station.
FBI investigation has begun
The FBI is now involved in the case and is investigating the fight and death. An autopsy will be performed.
The FBI’s Los Angeles field office issued a statement to USA Today confirming their agency responded as the cruise ship returned to dock on Monday.
The FBI did not have additional specifics to share in regards to how they'll conduct the investigation.
The FBI website describes their jurisdiction on cruise ship incidents as "complicated", "Cruise ship criminal jurisdiction is complicated, and keeping U.S. passengers safe at sea presents unique challenges."
The issue is related to the fact cruise ships are registered in foreign countries and crimes occur in international waters. Plus, the passengers and crew members may be from foreign countries.
So if there's a crime, other countries may want to investigate it too.
The location of the vessel, the nationality of the suspect or victim, the ownership of the vessel, the points of embarkation and debarkation, and the country where the vessel is registered all determine the FBI’s role and ability to investigate.
Cruisers reactions
News of the incident and the man's subsequent death spread across the internet quickly, with differing opinions on the situation.
On Facebook, many cruisers offered their own speculation as to what could have happened to cause the man to die so quickly.
Michael Snyder posted, "Leaving ugly comments won’t change the facts of this, the guy was out of control but his family he left behind are suffering his loss and very likely embarrassed by his actions no matter what caused them. The people he threatened and assaulted also suffered."
Becca Castro added, "Sad that this happened, sad for his family that was on their with him to witness all this and then deal with this."
Security measures on cruise ships
Royal Caribbean has its own security guide, which is required under the the Cruise Vessel Security and Safety Act.
Every Royal Caribbean ship is staffed with dedicated security and medical teams to respond to alleged crimes. They are onboard, on duty and available at all times.
According to Royal Caribbean, crime allegations are reported to law enforcement officials in the next port of call, as well as to the nation where their ships are flagged.
The company also reports allegations of crime to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and United States Coast Guard (USCG), in compliance with United States laws.
For a crime such as the man allegedly assaulting with serious bodily injury, US federal law requires Royal Caribbean to report the incident to the FBI by telephone as soon as possible, to the United States Department of Homeland Security electronically and to the USCG in writing.
