An unruly passenger aboard a Royal Caribbean cruise ship who went on a violent, drunk rampage died over the weekend after he was detained by crew members.
Fox 11 News Los Angeles reports that the incident occurred less than an hour after the Navigator of the Seas set sail from the Port of Los Angeles in San Pedro, CA for Ensenada, Mexico. Passengers say that the deceased, later identified as 35-year-old Michael Virgil, allegedly assaulted and injured two crew members and threatened to kill others. He reportedly became enraged after getting off the elevator at the wrong floor, and then began making threats and screaming profanities.
Video footage shows Virgil attempting to kick down a cabin door to get to one of the crew members, though it's unclear whether it was one he had attacked.
Security can be seen in the video attempting to subdue Virgil, who was placed in custody with the aid of zip ties, handcuffs, and pepper spray. His family said that he was injected with some kind of sedative and that he died within an hour, though the exact cause of death is unknown.
Christifer Mikhail, a passenger who witnessed the incident, had been on the cruise to celebrate with his and his wife's birthdays as well as their anniversary with a dozen family and friends.
"The gentlemen that was drunk said he was going to kill us," Mikhail told Fox 11. "He started chasing us down the hallway. I was kind of scared. I'm stuck in this hallway."
Virgil's family said that the behavior was "completely uncharacteristic, and he leaves behind a seven-year-old son with autism and a fiancé. "He didn't deserve to die over it," the relative said.
Royal Caribbean confirmed that the passenger had died and issued a brief statement on the incident: "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."
