Denver father-of-four revealed as man who leapt to his death from Norwegian Epic despite 75-year-old mother’s desperate attempt to stop him
A financial advisor father-of-four drowned after jumping from a luxury Caribbean cruise ship – despite his elderly mother’s valiant efforts to restrain him.
Police investigators in the Bahamas believe Dan McGilvray, 51, may have suffered an adverse reaction to the drugs he was taking to treat seizures.
Sources say the “distressed” father from Broomfield, Colorado, woke up around 3 p.m. on December 26 and screamed, “I can’t take it anymore.”
Relatives, including his 75-year-old mother Gerda McGilvray, are said to have fought in vain to prevent him from clambering over a balcony and jumping from Norwegian Epic.
They could only watch in horror as the senior wealth advisor broke free, jumped overboard, bounced off a lifeboat and disappeared beneath the waves.
Bahamian search teams combed the ocean 30 miles east of Long Island, assisted by the U.S. Coast Guard and a passing Holland America Line cruise ship.
Their frantic efforts were captured in videos posted to social media by concerned passengers when their $1.2 billion ship suddenly halted its journey from Ocho Rios, Jamaica, to Great Stirrup Cay in the Bahamas.
“They put up a flare, they’re circulating, we made a whole circle looking for the man who jumped off the boat,” said an onlooker, pointing her camera at a lifeboat tied to a lower deck.
Dan McGilvray, 51, reportedly woke up at 3pm and shouted ‘I can’t take it anymore’ before running to the balcony to jump off the Norwegian Epic on December 26
Gerda McGilvray, 75, along with other family members made the heroic attempt to stop her son from jumping from the balcony – but they watched in horror as he broke free
Dan McGilvray, 51, was the father of four young boys. Police in the Bahamas believe he may have suffered an adverse reaction to the drugs he was taking to treat seizures
“He jumped, he fell and bounced off one of these and fell into the water.”
A day later, Royal Bahamas police confirmed the search was unsuccessful and the boat was diverted to Nassau, where police were waiting.
It is understood that footage from the onboard security cameras supported the family’s gruesome portrayal of events and there is no indication that McGilvray’s death was suspicious.
“Preliminary reports indicate that the victim panicked sometime around 3 p.m. and despite efforts to restrain him, jumped from a balcony into the sea,” police said in a statement.
‘Rescue efforts by OPBAT (a coast guard unit combining rescuers from the Bahamas and the Turks and Caicos Islands) and cruise ship personnel were conducted but proved fruitless in locating him.’
The tragedy occurred just days into a seven-day Christmas cruise that departed Cape Canaveral on December 21 to spend the festive period touring Cozumel, Grand Cayman and Jamaica before returning to Florida on December 28.
A spokesperson for Norwegian Cruise Line added: ‘The guest was traveling with a large group and his family on board is being cared for and supported during this very challenging situation.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with his loved ones at this difficult time.”
The frantic search efforts were captured in videos posted to social media by concerned passengers when their ship suddenly halted its journey to Great Stirrup Cay, Bahamas.
A GoFundMe campaign was launched on Saturday to support the family, saying: ‘We are devastated to let you know that Dan McGilvray has passed away unexpectedly at the age of 51. His wife, Heather, and four sons need the support of their friends in many areas, right now.
“As you also know, Dan was the primary breadwinner for their family and the coming year will be incredibly difficult for Heather to support her boys and learn to live without Dan.
“If you knew Dan, we know you loved him because he was brilliant, honest, hardworking, funny and devoted to his family and friends. Thank you for honoring his legacy with whatever support you can provide his family during this difficult time.”
McGilvray, a senior wealth advisor for investment firm Beacon Pointe, lived in the Denver suburb of Broomfield with his wife Heather, 52, and their four boys.
He had served in various financial positions, including a stint as financial manager for the Air Force Space and Missile Center, for which he earned an Air Force Commendation.
The veteran consultant studied business at the University of Colorado Boulder, earned an MBA from Indiana University and recently graduated from Schwab’s Executive Leadership Program.
He served on the committee of the nonprofit organization Cross Purpose in Denver, volunteered at his children’s schools and enjoyed traveling, tennis and golf, according to his profile on the Beacon Pointe website.
His mother Gerda volunteered at Life Center Littleton, a church community center in Denver. “Serving others is doing what the Savior did, so that’s the call,” she captioned a 2020 Facebook post.
When McGilvray broke free from his family’s grasp, he jumped from the balcony and bounced off a lifeboat before disappearing beneath the waves.
A day after McGilvray jumped, Royal Bahamas police confirmed the search was unsuccessful and the boat was diverted to Nassau, where police encountered him.
“As a Jesus follower, I am asked to reach the widows, orphans and aliens… the Life Center is a perfect place to do that. Besides, I love to serve!’
Family members did not immediately respond to DailyMail.com.
The Norwegian Epic was the third largest cruise ship in the world when it launched in 2009, with enough sleeping accommodations for 4,100 passengers.
The 155,000-ton ship features six restaurants, an open-air nightclub, an abseiling wall and a 60-meter water slide.
In February 2019, the ship suffered a critical engine failure and collided with a dock in San Juan, Puerto Rico, tearing a 6-foot gash in the hull and causing $9 million in damage to a pier.
Four months later, a 63-year-old South Korean passenger fell overboard while traveling from Cannes in France to Palma de Mallorca in Spain’s Balearic Islands.
She was never found.