The father of a 20-year-old man who went overboard from a cruise ship in the Bahamas believes he is still alive – despite the coast guard calling off the search. 

“Levion Parker fell or jumped into the sea from a Royal Caribbean cruise in the early hours of 4 April, off the Bahamas.

His father Francel Parker said, contrary to some media reports, it wasn’t a suicide – and that the family believes he is still alive.

The Parker family, from North Port in Florida, were travelling on the Liberty of the Seas when Levion Parker went overboard 57 miles off Great Inagua, the southernmost island in the Bahamas.

Francel Parker told local North Port newspaper The Daily Sun his son was a master diver working on a commercial fishing boat.

He said he threw six life rings off the boat in an effort to save him.

Some media outlets have reported the father and son were arguing before the incident, but Francel Parker denied this was the case.

He said his son had been drinking alcohol but suggested that was out of the ordinary, telling The Daily Sun: “We don’t drink.”

He added: “As soon as he went off the side, I prayed over him. I was confident the prayers I said over my son were heard.

“I believe he is alive.”

Read more from Sky News:
Property tycoon sentenced to death in Vietnam
Woman, 27, found stabbed to death in Westminster home named

Be the first to get Breaking News

Install the Sky News app for free

A Royal Caribbean spokesperson said in a statement: “The ship’s crew immediately launched a search and rescue effort alongside the US Coast Guard.”

The coast guard then took over the search, which was called off at the weekend.

“Our Care Team is providing support and assistance to the guest’s family during this difficult time,” the spokesperson added.

The Broward Sheriff’s Office is investigating the incident.

Related posts:

FBI images show massage room, nude photos and diamonds inside Epstein’s New York mansion Elon Musk ‘not sure’ Twitter takeover will succeed, but says he has ‘Plan B’ Autistic teenager found more than two years after disappearing China ‘ready to defeat any provocation’ as US Navy ships transit Taiwan Strait ‘I have tried my best’: Britney Spears’ mother urges star to have private conversation Country music star Loretta Lynn dies aged 90 Elon Musk and Tesla going on trial over claims his tweets cost investors billions of dollars Gunman who killed three in university shooting is named – but police have ‘no idea’ of motive First cases of treatment-resistant ringworm found in patients in US Mother pleads guilty to accidentally killing daughter while shooting at dog attacking kittens Moderate earthquake hits southern California Senior US officials did not know for days that defence secretary was in hospital