Passenger allegedly jumped from Rhapsody of the Seas over casino debt
Jey Gonzalez-Diaz was reportedly carrying $14,600 in cash, two phones and five identification documents when he entered the water in Puerto Rico.
Jey Gonzalez-Diaz allegedly jumped from Royal Caribbean’s Rhapsody of the Seas to avoid paying $16,710 in casino debt, according to a news report cited in the case account.
The ship was undergoing a U.S. Customs and Border Protection inspection at a Puerto Rico port when Gonzalez-Diaz entered the water. Surveillance footage reportedly showed a person on a jet ski taking him to shore.
Gonzalez-Diaz initially told officers that he jumped to avoid taxes on the currency he was carrying. Royal Caribbean told investigators that he had reserved the cruise under the name Jeremy Diaz and owed the company more than $16,700, with most of the debt attributed to onboard casino gambling.
Gonzalez-Diaz is out on bail and could face a maximum sentence of five years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.
Separately, Cruise Lines International Association research found an annual average of 19 people fell from cruise ships between 2009 and 2019. The research recorded 212 incidents, including 170 deaths, and reported a rescue rate of 28.2%.