RSSMan Overboard & Missing … 18 Year Old Bruce O’Krepki Goes Overboard on the Cruise Ship Carnival Fantasy
Not again? If its a cruise ship, then someone must have gone overboard, again. This time the 
incident happened aboard the Carnival Fantasy. At some point they are either going to have to put plexi-glass up around the perimeter of a ship like a Hockey Arena or a safety net around these ships.
18 year old Bruce O’Krepki has gone overboard on the cruise ship Carnival Fantasy Sunday night. O’Krepki is a recent high school graduate and was aboard the Carnival Fantasy with 35 other classmates. The US Coast Guard is searching for the missing 18 year old who went overboard about 150 miles southwest of Tampa, Florida.
Bruce O’Krepki went overboard from the Carnival Fantasy at about 9:45 p.m. Sunday, about 150 miles southwest of Tampa, the Coast Guard said.
O’Krepki is from Hammond, La., where The Daily Star newspaper reported that he recently graduated from St. Thomas Aquinas High School. He was with about 35 classmates on the ship.
His uncle, Rick O’Krepki, said Monday afternoon that the family had no details about what happened.
“We are awaiting more word,” O’Krepki told the newspaper. “Hopefully, the brave men and women of the U.S. Coast Guard will be successful in searching for Bruce.”
Officials say he was on board the Carnival Cruise Ship Fantasy for a senior trip. Also according to reports, O’Krepki’s parents were chaperones on the trip.
Search continues overnight for Hammond teen lost from cruise ship
Coast Guard crews were called in about 15 minutes later, and a search plane and helicopter from Clearwater, Fla., and patrol boat from St. Petersburg scrambled to the scene, Petty Officer Rob Simpson said.
The cruise ship aided in the search until it was released by the Coast Guard about 2:30 a.m. to continue to Key West, Bello said.
The Coast Guard had not given up the search by Monday evening, almost 24 hours after O’Krepki went overboard, Simpson said.
Posted May 25, 2009 by Scared Monkeys Cruise Ship, Deceased, Education, Missing Persons, Search and Recovery, Travel | 28 comments |
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28 Responses to “Man Overboard & Missing … 18 Year Old Bruce O’Krepki Goes Overboard on the Cruise Ship Carnival Fantasy”
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Sad that this fine young man ended up over the side.
Hard to imagine the reason this occurred. It’s not
particularly easy to ‘accidently’ get over railings and
such, but some scenario will finally emerge that we
can learn from.
He was suppose to have a good time, instead, the young man is missing. We just hope he’s okay and safe. Most of all…ALIVE. Let’s just pray the coast guards and rescue team will find him soon.
Maybe if the cruise ships were more responsible for the amount of liquor they served a person, these incidents would not happen. When a ship is on the open seas, a lot of laws do not apply, like drinking age.
Things like this never used to be reported in the main stream media. However, over boards and rapes on cruise ships have been happening for years. They used to be better at hushing it up. People going over board is not a new phenomena.
People don’t “accidentally” fall off cruise ships without some alcohol and horseplay that would include sitting or standing on railings.
I don’t understand what is happening on these cruise ships that people are falling overboard and getting lost at sea. Something just does not sound right about any of these cases.
I pray that he is found safe and they can learn just what happened to cause this.
It doesnt surprise me. Put a group of 18 yr old kids on a cruise ship, add a little bit of alcohol and this is what you get. Most 18 yr old kids are not responsible enough to make good decisions. I wont be surprised at all if it comes out he was trying to walk along the rail, was climbing on the rail, someone was horsing around. Im pretty sure he didnt “accidentally” fall over the rail. Millions of people get on these ships each year, yet those who are either thrown overboard, or do something incredibly stupid, end up missing.
My family knows some of his Family. They are a fine and respected family. Im sure Bruce was not carelessly climbing rails. I would also say that the cruise staff should be watching for such incidents. I hope security cameras could shed light on this tragedy……….j
For those of you who do not know the O’Krepki family or Bruce should probably not say anythinng negative. Accidents happen all the time. Whoever said that the search for Bruce was a “waste of resources” clearly does not understand the value of a life. A life that has impacted so many others. Bruce is a great person and I hope and pray that God will give us more time with him. I do ask that you keep Bruce and his family in your thoughts and prayers.
Jim: “fine families” can still have young people who do stupid things when on alcohol or drugs. Over and over again we’ve been standing on Cruise Ships trying to figure out how someone could “accidentally” go over the rails. Those railings are at least 4 ft high and it simply can’t happen without some stupid horseplay going on.
Do you know how many people try the “I’m King of the World” from Titanic? Why? I can’t say because I have a great fear of deep water.
You can’t blame the cruise lines or the staff. I’m sure this young man was a good up standing person, but like someone else said, when you get a group of teenagers together things happen. Cruise ships, hotel balconies, or interstate overpass, add a little alcohol or just teenagers celebrating someone always ends up hurt.
This kind of stuff never happened on the Love Boat!
Captain Stubing always said no cavorting and gratuitous horseplay on the lido deck.
This world needs more Merrills.
you don’t need to make any assumptions about what happened with bruce. Pray he will be found & be safe. leave it at that. clearly its none of your bussiness what happened unless you know him. just be concerned if we get him back.
COMMENTING TO SOMEONE ABOUT DRINKING AGE…THE RULES DO APPLY WHILE ABOARD THE SHIP. THEY HAVE TO FOLLOW THE LAND LAWS EVEN WHEN SAILING. I’VE BEEN ON THE SAME CRUISE SHIP AND THEY CARDED ME EVERY TIME AND I’M 25 YEARS OLD. BUT WHO KNOWS THE SITUATION.
So sad to read about this handsome young man going overboard on what was to be a celebration of his graduation ~
Praying for his safe return and for those who are searching for him ~ may God be with his family and friends ~ bless him and his family
To speculate is ridiculous to the point of saying he was drinking or even suggesting it. To pray for him and his family is a great think to do. For them to notice right away that he went overboard tells me we will know what happened in due time. I will be praying for the young man and his family.
It’s close to impossible to fall overboard unless you’re climbing on the rails.
Teens think they’re impervious to death.
I suggest everyone who cruises notice anyone near the rails and remind them of the incidents like we’re discussing here if they see them climbing on or leaning over the sides. If the cruise lines hire someone to police the situation we all pay more.
I pray for his family who are most certainly distraught.
He Jumped, enough said.
Pray for his familes comfort thru these trying times. Give them the strength to carry forward.
I have been on several cruises, and agreed with most comments.. one does not “accidently” fall overboard.
Very sad for his family. Let’s hope that the graduates will start to learn from experiences such as this and of other graduation trips gone bad….
What are the chances that He was alone climbing a rail? How much fun could that be? That would be something that would be viewed by at least a few friends? “Hey look at me!”. My thoughts are a few were with him and saw the whole thing, if he was climbing any rails. I still think some camera may have picked up something. j……….
I have been on at least 10 cruises and there is no way that you can accidentaly fall overboard, the rails are at least 4 foot tall. I just talked to a friend of mine who was on the Sensation and was docked along side the Fantasy in Nassau, he said that the other passengers said he got in an argument with his father and girlfriend and jumped overboard……
Yea there is no way you can just fall overboard.. There had to be some sort of horse play or drinking… God bless the family.. Hope he is found and is safe. Why was there no teachers or family friends there to watch the young adults. Dont blame the ship people.! We just need to think about things befor hand.. Prayers are out to the family and friends…
Dude enough with the “theres no way this was accidental” talk… stop guessing. Start praying for his family. I know what happened, and the media is not revealing this.. so what.. on with your lives people. The O’krepki’s are wonderful people who have suffered a tragic loss and need your prayers not guesses not teenage drunkeness talk – show some support – and God Bless those that have.
I was on the Fantasy the cruise before we came in Saturday morning and his cruise left Saturday afternoon. I know it is hard to believe that it was an accident but it is not for us to guess. I know the water was really rough coming back from Nassua all the way back to the Mississippi the boat was rocking for 2 days. I am praying for his family. I hope more details are released so we can all have a better undestanding of what happened.
WE JUST ARRIVED HOME FROM THIS CRUISE TODAY. 60% OF THE PASSENGERS WERE EITHER HIGH SCHOOL GRAD OR COLLEGE GRADS. MOST WERE DRINKING. THE BAR CARDED FOR DRINKS AND CIGARETTES. WE SAW TEENS BRINGING A PARENT TO THE BAR TO BUY THESE FOR THEM. THE ADULT GUESTS WERE TO BLAME FOR THE ALCOHOL, NOT THE SHIP. AND WHERE WERE THE CHAPERONES ALL THIS TIME? WE SAW THEM OFTEN DOING THEIR OWN THING AND “GIVING THE TEENS TIME OF THEIR OWN”. THIS CHILD DID NOT “FALL OVERBOARD”. I BELIEVE IN RESPECT FOR THE FAMILY IN THESE HARD TIMES AND DID NOT PARTICIPATE IN NBC NEWS INTERVIEWS AFTER EMBARKMENT. HOWEVER, I DO BELIEVE THAT, AS A PARENT, ONE MUST FACE THE TRUTH. YOU CANNOT “FALL” FROM THE SHIP INTENTIONALLY TAKING OFF YOUR SHOES AND EMPTYING YOUR POCKETS. THERE WERE MANY ISSUES THIS KID WAS FACING. AND EVERYBODY ABOARD WAS EFFECTED BY THIS TRAGEDY. WE STOOD ON OUR BALCONY WATCHING OUR SHIPS SPOT LIGHTS SEARCHING THE DARK FOGGY WATERS TO NO AVAIL. THE COAST GUARD HOVERING OVERHEAD TO NO AVAIL. HOW MISERABLE IT WAS TO CEASE THE SEARCH AND RESCUE AND CRUISE ON TO KEY WEST. THIS WAS A MISTAKE THIS KID COULDN’T TAKE BACK. AND WE ARE ALL BROKEN HEARTED. WE ARRIVED ONE SOUL SHORT….. PLEASE PARENTS, DON’T SEND YOUR KID(S) ON A VACATION SUCH AS THIS IF THEY ARE NOT MATURE/RESPONSIBLE ENOUGH AND YOU’RE NOT WILLING TO PLAY YOUR PART AS A PARENT (BUT AS A BUDDY). CRUISES ARE REALLY MEANT FOR “ADULTS”.
My husband and I were on this cruise and were amazed at the amount of underage drinking we saw!
As for the supposed “chapperones” well, I sure didn’t see much adult supervision.
This horrific event cast a dark shadow over the cruise for all aboard… you couldn’t walk along the deck and look at the water without thinking of this young man and his family. Our prayers continue to be with his family.
I’m tired of reading “fell overboard”. So if there are “witnesses” then change the headlines to “TEEN JUMPS OVERBOARD! So how come we never get the official story?
Don, what happened? It appears as if Bruce has so much going for him. The media has not followed through with what happened, and many are trying to figure out why he would jump off a ship and want to end his life over a girl!?! It is very tragic.
interesting story.man jumps off cruise ship at 2;30 in the morning.so how come no follow-up story.like has he bien found?or how long the coast searched before giving-up?and why isn’t there any cameras, video,infra red and so forth inbedded all along the ship from front to back?trying to hide criminal activity I guess.after all,it’s not like these ships are on the verge of bankruptcy,so money to have them installed wouldn’t be an issue.