Royal Carribean Cruise Ship Passenger With Dementia Vanishes Minutes After Disembarking Vessel During Vacation
A supposedly fun and unforgettable cruise took a different turn for one family when one member went missing during the trip.
Edmond Bradley Solomon III, 66, with his wife, Mimi, and other family members boarded the Royal Caribbean Icon of the Seas on March 30 in Miami, Florida. They made stops in Costa Maya, Mexico, Roatan and Honduras before disembarking in Cozumel, Mexico, where he reportedly went missing, according to the New York Post.
Savannah Miller, Solomon's daughter, recalled what happened and said that her dad vanished after he went to the restroom before leaving the terminal.
"My dad and stepmom both went into the respective restrooms at the same time. When my stepmom, Mimi, came out, he wasn't there," she told WCBD-TV.
Another family member who was with the couple, her uncle Brian, went inside the restroom to check if Solomon was still inside, but he wasn't.
"That was the point that we knew he was lost... everyone was so terrified for his safety," Miller continued.
"We know that no matter where he was, he would have difficulty understanding what was going on and communicating his needs due to his dementia."
According to Miller, her dad was recently diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia, which results in unusual behaviors, trouble communicating, difficulty with emotions, work and walking.
"He sometimes says odd things and behaves erratically -- or oddly -- because he's just doing what he knows to do. He can't process the same way you or I can," she said.
After his wife reported that he had gone missing, the municipal police of Cozumel started a search operation, according to Mexico News Daily.
Solomon was last seen boarding a taxi to the island of La Pasion. A taxi driver called 911 to report that he had allegedly picked up a foreign tourist matching Solomon's description.
He allegedly boarded the taxi on Wednesday at around 2:30 p.m. on 65th Avenue and was dropped off at a road with access to the beach and paid for the ride with a wristwatch because he did not have cash.
At the time of Solomon's disappearance, he was reportedly wearing a white shirt, gray shorts, white shoes, a blue cap and sunglasses.
