Kevin Klingele Cruise Ship Passenger Mysterious Overboard Death July 3, 2007

Kevin Klingele

Cruise Ship Passenger Mysterious Overboard Death

July 3, 2007

Cruise Bruise Exclusive Report

The friends and family of Kevin Klingele have come to Cruise Bruise asking for help in solving this mystery. Until Cruise Bruise received this case, little was known about this mysterious death.

Kevin Klingele, owner of Frost's Tree Farm in Los Gatos, California was on a cruise with the Marantha Christian Center. Klingele was connected to this group through his church, Abundant Life Christian Fellowship in Mountain View, California. The cruise was for the Third Annual Singles Conference, Victoriously Single At Sea.

The group was booked on the Carnival Pride, Mexican Riviera cruise July 1 to July 8, 2007. The vessel was to call at Cabo San Lucas, Puerto Vallarta, and Mazatlan.

Klingele had a cabin mate from the church group. The cabin mate said he returned on the evening of July 2nd and Kevin was in bed sleeping. Other members of the group say he was last seen about 0100 hours (1am) on July 4, according to Carnival Cruise Lines

There is little known about this case, the FBI are not saying much. . By July 6, the FBI was showing up to interview family and friends. One friend was told by the FBI on July 6, that Klingele had been missing only one day.

An FBI inspection of the Klingele home, showed no signs at all of anyone not planning to come home. The FBI visited Kevin's home a number of times and questioned both a tenant and the property manager.

Upon visiting the home Kevin's attorney said it looked like the home of someone who planned to return. Kevin recently had purchased or leased additional property to expand his christmas tree farm operations. This rules out the possibility of suicide. Kevin was planning to come home, definately.

On July 10, 2007 there are reports of a tourist on a jet ski, seeing Klingele's body along the shore off Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. The Mexican military was alerted at that point in time, and the body was recovered.

The FBI spent 10 days in Mexico investigating, but is keeping tight lipped, not sharing any information with the family, neighbors or friends they interviewed.

Given his age and demeanor, it is highly unlikely he was acting in an inappropriate or reckless manner that would have contributed to his death. Either this was a horrible accident, or he met with foul play.

In typical pro-cruise industry harrassment of victims and their family members, in my research I have found that two members of this family posted in a forum at Cruise Mates, and were harrassed by the regular members, and even the board owner Paul Motter, who backed up his members. Their beef was this story had not been in the news, and nobody had heard anything about it. So, immediately they slammed the family as pranksters.

I have to remind our visitors again, that the pro-cruise industry forums are shark infested waters, and a poster under attack there will not find a lifeboat anywhere near the scene of the attack.

It is overly odd that this story has had almost no chatter of a serious nature on the web. We find it puzzling that the cruise line, the FBI, and the major media have kept this story so quiet. It is this particular type of industry behavior that is the root of rumors and suspicions of industry cover-up, and that has lead to past bad publicity. The industry pledged to take these events seriously, and yet a story of this significance is buried so deep, all the family can get is mockery as they try to answer questions, and get closure.

UPDATE: JULY 18, 2007 12:30PM CST

Finally, Carnival Cruise Lines makes a press release regarding this case, two weeks after Kevin went missing, and only after Cruise Bruise iniitiated a public investigation. After receiving this case, Cruise Bruise contacted partner Kendall Carver of the International Cruise Victims organization and asked for their help to find out why this case had been buried. Kendall worked with other partners to get information, and through that effort was able to pressure the cruise line into a press release, which he forwarded onto us.

Carnival Cruise Lines now says Kevin's traveling companions last saw him on July 4, 2007 around 0100 hours (1am local time). His traveling companions reported him missing on July 5, after departing Mazatlan.

The press release says an onboard search took place, but says nothing of a search of the sea by the cruise ship.

The family has advised that any information regarding this case should be forwarded to: Claire Balanay, FBI, (714) 720-1384.

UPDATE: JULY 19, 2007 11:30AM CST

There are reports out now that Klingele died of a heart condition during the cruise. This case continues on Page 2, see the links below.

Kevin Klingele Case Details: 1 2