Two Kentucky moms reveal they were drugged and RAPED at Bahamas resort during Carnival cruise day trip after Americans were warned of increased sexual assaults on the islands
Two Kentucky mothers had no idea the Bahamas were dangerous on their very first trip abroad before being taken to a beach where they were drugged and raped.
Childhood friends Amber Shearer and Dongayla Dobson, who agreed to be named in an interview with DailyMail.com, were on the last day of a four-day trip with Carnival Cruises when the boat docked at Freeport in Grand Bahama on Sunday.
The US State Department issued two travel warnings for the country in late January, advising “extreme caution” after a spate of murders and assaults in daylight.
But the two 34-year-olds say they knew nothing about it before going on an excursion to Pirate’s Cove with dozens of other passengers.
“We were targeted from the moment we were spotted,” Dobson said.
Dongayla Dobson (left) and Amber Shearer (right) were happy with their first trip abroad
The pair said Bahamian police refused rape kits after they were attacked on the beach
The couple’s last memory was having drinks (pictured) on the beach before walking to the resort bathroom with bruises on their legs
The couple left Miami on Feb. 1 for their first “child-free” vacation together on the 2,000-capacity Carnival Elation.
But their idyllic cruise turned into a nightmare when it docked in Grand Bahama.
“We just decided to spend the day at the beach,” Dobson told Dailymail.com.
“There were other people from the cruise on the beach, so there were no red flags for us.”
Carnival advertises the resort on its website, claiming, “The experienced, hospitable and warm-hearted staff will ensure you have a memorable visit.”
And when they arrived, they were approached by two men they thought were a resort guest who offered them drinks.
“They said if you buy one you get one free, and we thought why not, we’re on vacation.”
Dobson wanted to pick up some shells for her children in Lancaster and the men said they knew where to find them.
But security footage from the resort shows the pair were barely able to stand within 15 minutes as they were led away under the influence of cocaine, opiates and benzodiazepines.
“I remember waking up and being pushed down,” Dobson said.
“I woke up in the bathroom at the resort and there were people everywhere, and I just felt dirt on my legs, and I knew what had happened.
“They told us to throw up, which is a good thing because the drugs would have killed us.”
The four-day Carnival cruise on the Carnival Elation visited Nassau and Grand Bahama
The two mothers were looking forward to their first ‘child-free’ holiday on board the ship
Carnival’s website advertises the Pirate Cove beach resort, promising ‘The experienced, hospitable and warm-hearted staff will ensure you have a memorable visit’
On the last day of their cruise, the couple decided they just wanted a “day at the beach.”
But their day out turned into a nightmare when they were drugged with spiked drinks and raped
The pair are pictured on a Bahamian beach shortly before their ordeal began
But their nightmare only just began after the Royal Bahamian Police were called to the scene.
“We were treated like criminals and refused rape kits after repeatedly asking for them,” Shearer said.
“We were forced to reveal where our rapes took place and face the men who raped us,” she added.
‘There was an American FNP (family nurse practitioner) who tried to stay with us and was denied that right.
“We were told that if we went to a Bahamian hospital, they would not help us get back to the U.S.”
Police arrested a 54-year-old man from Eight Mile Rock and a 40-year-old from South Bahamas after resort staff showed them security footage of the women being led away.
Police have not named the suspects, but local reports suggest someone is linked to a powerful figure on the islands who is using his influence to secure his brother’s release.
Dailymail.com received an anonymous call stressing that the investigation is in its early stages and urging claims of political involvement to be reported.
Police in the Bahamas have not yet responded to questions.
Blood tests showed that the two women had been given a cocktail of drugs, but no alcohol.
The company offered help, but the friends wanted to return to their families as quickly as possible and flew back to Kentucky on Monday evening.
Dobson said her two-year-old son doesn’t understand why his mother is upset and her two teenage daughters are “just in shock.”
Pirate’s Cove Zipline and Waterpark is Grand Bahama’s first adventure theme park
The pair filmed a series of harrowing videos on the way back to Kentucky in which they described their experiences and warned against accepting drinks that are not in sealed containers.
“It opened their eyes that even if you think you’re safe and you’re doing the right thing, you’re not safe,” she said.
Both women are now spending $4,000 on anti-HIV drugs as a precaution and are waiting for an update from Bahamian police.
“We want our story to be heard,” Shearer said.
“Amber is about as good as me,” Dobson said.
“We have bad luck at different times, so it’s nice to be able to lean on each other.”
Dailymail.com has contacted Carnival Cruise Lines and the Pirate Cove resort for comment.