The wife of a young Scottish man feared dead after falling from a cruise ship has spoken of her heartbreak following her husband’s disappearance.
Liam Jones, 23, from Dundee, who had been on board the MSC Euribia, fell into the water near the Netherlands last Saturday.
It is believed the ship had left Southampton the evening before and was heading for the German port of Hamburg.
Mr Jones is said to have been traveling with family members.
His wife Sophie Mcphee, 20, said Daily record: ‘I feel so lost. He’s just…gone.
‘I’m never going to see him again. I’m devastated.
Liam Jones, with wife Sophia, 20, on their wedding day
Mr Jones, pictured left with his wife Sophia, right, disappeared from a cruise ship in the North Sea
“I have so many questions and I can’t get an answer to what happened.”
Mrs Mcphee last saw her husband on March 14 when he traveled from Dundee to Glasgow to meet his family before boarding the ship in Southampton ahead of their cruise.
She said that shortly before he disappeared from the ship, she received a text message from her husband claiming he was feeling seasick.
Mrs Mcphee said her husband’s sister informed her of the tragedy. She said she saw CCTV footage showing Mr Smith going overboard into the ocean.
Ms Mcphee continued: ‘I haven’t had any contact from anyone since.’
‘I’ve been trying to get in touch with the MSC since Monday, but it’s giving me a headache. They don’t contact me.’
The ship’s operator confirmed last Saturday that a passenger had gone overboard and that authorities had been notified.
A spokesperson for MSC Cruises said police in Southampton boarded the ship yesterday to conduct a coroner’s investigation.
The young husband’s friends and relatives have spoken of their devastation and say they are desperate for more information.
His wife Sophia, 20, who was not travelling, told the Courier newspaper: ‘I am extremely concerned about what has happened and have been desperately trying to find information.
‘The terrible situation is that we don’t know exactly what happened. Police Scotland have informed me that officers in Germany are investigating the matter.’
Mr Jones was traveling on the Euribia when he fell into the water
A map of the journey and where Mr Jones is believed to have fallen overboard
She posted a broken heart emoji on her Facebook page next to a photo of her and Mr Jones on their wedding day.
His brother William Neil, 23, told the Courier he was informed of the incident by Police Scotland at his home in Glasgow on Thursday evening.
He said: ‘Liam’s family and friends are devastated by this news. We are very disappointed with MSC for their lack of communication about this.”
His sister Paula Devlin wrote: ‘The purest soul and best friend a sister could ask for.’ Jones’ 23-year-old friend, Jay Forbes, said he had tried to contact other passengers on board the ship via social media in an attempt to determine the circumstances.
He said: “We have not been able to get accurate information about what happened to Liam. We’re all just extremely worried and desperate for information.”
A spokesperson for MSC Cruises said: ‘A passenger on board MSC Euribia went overboard on March 16 as the ship sailed to Hamburg. This was reported to the authorities. Police in Southampton boarded the ship yesterday and investigated.
‘We are deeply saddened by this news and our thoughts are with the family at this very difficult time. Out of respect for the family’s privacy, we withhold additional information.’
The spokesperson added that the company’s customer service team had been in “continuous contact” with the family.
The Foreign Office said: ‘We are supporting the family of a British citizen following an incident in the Netherlands.’