Passenger dies after being ‘sedated’ on Royal Caribbean cruise after he was filmed in destructive on-board rampage
A ROYAL Caribbean cruise passenger has died after allegedly being sedated following a violent outburst on board.
Footage showed Michael Virgil, 35, on a destructive rampage shortly after the ship departed from Los Angeles, California to Ensenada, Mexico.
In the clip, Virgil can be seen in a hallway, yelling and attempting to kick down a door.
At one point, he removes his shirt as a crowd gathers to witness the chaotic scene.
Witnesses claim Virgil allegedly assaulted multiple crew members and threatened to kill passengers before security intervened, TMZ and Fox 11 report.
According to reports, security used pepper spray, zip ties, and handcuffs to restrain Virgil.
Family members allege that he was injected with a sedative, although Royal Caribbean has not confirmed this claim.
Approximately an hour later, Virgil was pronounced dead while still in the custody of ship security.
His cause of death has not yet been determined.
The circumstances leading to the altercation remain unclear, as the incident reportedly began less than an hour after the cruise departed.
Virgil’s family has described his behaviour as uncharacteristic, insisting he was not the type of person to act in such a manner.
They added that he didn’t deserve to die over the altercation.
He was reportedly travelling with his fiancee and his seven-year-old son.
According to TMZ, Royal Caribbean released a statement saying the company is saddened by the death of Mr. Virgil and is offering support to his family and the authorities as they investigate the matter.
The Sun has contacted Royal Caribbean for more information.
It comes after terrifying footage captured the moment a cruise ship appeared to tilt 45 degrees to the side as it was battered by a crosswind swell.
Passengers feared they would “die like on the Titanic” as glasses smashed and people sent panicked text messages to loved ones.
Dramatic footage shows objects sliding across decks and people struggling to keep their balance.
It happened after the Royal Caribbean cruise ship – heading from Spain to Miami – was hit by freak weather and powerful 86mph winds off the coast of Africa on November 7.
The vessel was near Tenerife at the time.
There were 5,000 people on board, and the tilt held its terrifying angle for an agonising three minutes.
Meanwhile, passengers on a luxury cruise went on hunger strike after engine failure wrecked their dream polar voyage.
Those on board the SH Diana protested when tour firm Swan Hellenic refused a full refund after their trip was cut short.
The 20-night trip left Cape Town, South Africa, two weeks ago and was due to make stops at points near and on Antarctica.
But the year-old ship developed a fault in one of its eco-friendly hybrid engines, forcing the liner to abandon the trip.
Passengers who paid from £7,000 to £10,000 were offered a 50 per cent refund or a 65 per cent “future cruise credit”.