A Filipino crewman aboard Virgin Voyages’ Scarlet Lady cruise ship died last week of “apparent self-harm, ” US Coast Guard told the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) on Wednesday.
The 32-year-old Filipino seafarer, whose identity has not been disclosed, was found dead in his cabin on Friday night, May 22. According to reports, the deceased crew member had worked as a hotel utility employee of the said cruise ship.
Scarlet Lady is the lone operational cruise ship of Virgin Voyages which was supposed to be launched in March but was canceled due to the novel coronavirus pandemic. It is now docked in Miami, Florida with its crewmen remained aboard for 75 days already.
According to previous reports of Miami Herald and US Inquirer, some seafarers have expressed their frustrations over the deploring situations they are faced with amid the pandemic.
This is not the first time a seafarer died aboard that has been linked to poor mental health since the pandemic. Within the month of May, six cases of not coronavirus-related deaths among seamen have been recorded globally, and five of them were suicide.
– Aira Cagascas
