Cruise line: Video shows woman's fatal fall
By ELAINE ROSE
Staff Writer, 609-272-7215
Published: Thursday, May 15, 2008
ATLANTIC CITY - Two agents from the FBI met the Norwegian Dawn cruise ship when it docked in Bermuda on Wednesday morning and began interviewing passengers about a Pine Hill woman who fell overboard, the agency confirmed.On Wednesday evening, the Norwegian Cruise Line released information about the incident that it obtained from security cameras on the ship.Mindy Jordan, 46, fell off the ship at about 7:50 p.m. Sunday about 45 miles northeast of Atlantic City. Jordan was traveling with her boyfriend, Jorge Caputo, on the ship that left New York four hours earlier. The Coast Guard searched the area for several hours and called off the operation late Monday afternoon because of bad weather."The FBI investigates crime on the high seas," spokesman Jim Margolin said Wednesday. "The fundamental thing we're trying to investigate is was a crime committed."As far as the FBI is aware, Jordan's body has not been recovered, Margolin said.
The agents are interviewing people on the Norwegian Dawn who were in the vicinity of the incident when it occurred, Margolin said. He would not say if there were any eyewitnesses to Jordan's fall.Norwegian Cruise Line, based in Miami, said in a released statement Wednesday evening that their surveillance cameras confirm Jordan was alone in her stateroom on the ninth deck at the time of the incident. According to the cruise line, surveillance cameras show:n Jordan, Caputo and the couple they were traveling with had dinner Sunday evening at the Garden Cafe, a casual eatery on the 12th deck that serves pasta, salads and ethnic dishes. They returned to their adjoining staterooms at about 7:28 p.m.n At 7:36 p.m., Caputo left his stateroom and joined their friends in the adjacent room. From then on, Jordan was alone in their stateroom.n Surveillance cameras from the exterior of the ship caught Jordan falling overboard from her balcony at 7:53 p.m., and go straight into the water. Soon after that, an emergency call was placed from the friends' stateroom, and Caputo is seen going out to get help.n At 7:57 p.m., "man overboard" was announced, and the crew launched two rescue boats and began lifesaving operations.In a statement released Tuesday, the cruise line said that a preliminary investigation indicated Jordan fell while attempting to climb the railing from one balcony to another.Norwegian Cruise Line arranged to bring Jordan's family to Bermuda today and see the footage from the surveillance cameras, Wednesday's release said."NCL remains committed to assisting the family in any way possible during this tragic time," the statement said.Jordan's family believes that her fall was not only tragic, it may have been criminal. They are asking for a full investigation of the incident.Family members said that Caputo abused Jordan over the course of their 2-year relationship. Jordan, who has two teenage children, lives with Caputo in Pine Hill.Jordan's brother, Steve Lynn of Kentucky, came to his mother's home in Bordentown to be with his family. He said the FBI interviewed their mother, Louise Horton, Tuesday night, and took photographs of bruises on Jordan with them as possible evidence.Relatives encouraged Jordan to call the authorities about the way Caputo treated her, but she was reluctant to do so, Lynn said.Caputo continued on the cruise to Bermuda and was not available for comment. He has not been charged with any crime. "For this to happen on Mother's Day is even more tragic," Lynn said Wednesday.The Associated Press contributed to this report.To e-mail Elaine Rose at The Press:ERose@pressofac.com
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