Family Of Mom Who Fell Overboard On Cruise, Went Missing Gives Grim Update

Reeta Sahani, the woman who was reported missing after falling overboard on a Royal Caribbean cruise ship Monday (July 31) was confirmed dead, her son, Jakesh, revealed on Twitter Tuesday (August 1) on what would have been her birthday.

"Thank you for showing your overwhelming support in this time of distress for my family & I will forever be grateful. The cruise liner finally did share the footage with us & a search is also underway. With the footage we have unfortunately learnt that my mother has passed away," Sahani tweeted."Would request you guys to give us some privacy as we mourn her loss. Ironically, today is also her birthday. I would like to thank @MEAIndia, @PMOIndia, @IndiainSingapor and @DrSJaishankar for helping us out in getting this closure."

Reeta Sahani, 64, and her husband, Jakesh Sahani, 70, both from India, were vacationing on the Spectrum of the Seas voyage from Malaysia to Singapore at the time of her disappearance, the Strait Times reports. Jakesh said he woke up in the middle of the night and noticed that Reeta was missing.

The ship's overboard detection system showed that a person had gone overboard and the Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre was notified of a passenger falling "overboard in the Singapore Strait" at around 7:50 a.m. on Monday, according to the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore.

“MRCC Singapore is coordinating the search and immediately issued navigational safety broadcast to vessels in the Singapore Strait and vessels in port to keep a lookout for the missing person and report any sightings to MRCC Singapore,” the MPA said in a statement shared on Monday.

Apoorv Sahani, 39, who wasn't aboard the ship at the time of his mother's disappearance, initially disputed reports that she jumped overboard, noting that she cannot swim and had believed she was "stuck" somewhere on the ship prior to his update on Tuesday.