A Florida man says he believes his 20-year-old son is still alive, days after he jumped from an 18-story cruise ship, according to the North Port Daily Sun.
Francel Parker said that his son, Levion Parker, had multiple flotation devices thrown down to him on April 4 when he leaped over the side of the royal Caribbean ship “Liberty of the Seas” as family members watched in horror.
“As soon as he went off the side, I prayed over him,” the dad told the outlet. “I was confident the prayers I said over my son were heard. I stand on the word of God. I believe he is alive.”
Royal Caribbean told the New York Post in a statement that the ship’s crew “immediately launched a search and rescue effort alongside the U.S. Coast Guard.”
According to witnesses, Parker was confronted by his father about drinking early on April 4. Levion Parker told his father, “I’ll fix this right now,” a moment before he turned and jumped out of a window and overboard.
“We don’t drink. I’d like to know how my son was served so much alcohol,” the elder Parker told the outlet. The drinking age on a Royal Caribbean cruise departing from the US is 21.
Parker said his son had alcohol on the ship but jumping off the ship was not a suicide attempt, the Sun reported.
The ship was on its way to Fort Lauderdale after four days of sailing between Cuba and the Bahamas’ Grand Inagua Island.
The Coast Guard suspended the search for Parker over the weekend.
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