Cruise ship gambler jumps to death

A man who is believed to have lost about £415,000 in a cruise ship casino killed himself by jumping from the vessel into the sea.
The gambler, identified by Hong Kong police only as a Mr Xu, and aged 51, had been playing baccarat on board the SuperStar Aquarius. He joined the ship on Saturday for a two-day cruise, and was at the casino tables from after dinner until about 8.00 a.m on Sunday. According to some passengers he had lost HK$5 million.
He was then seen wandering around the top deck of the 13-deck ship for about an hour before jumping. A spokesman for Star Cruises said the captain was told that someone had fallen into the sea at about 9.00 a.m. Rescue teams were called in and Xu’s body was found almost an hour later.
Police have ruled out foul play.
AND IN the UK, a junior waiter working on a P&O cruise ship hanged himself after being caught stealing tips from a restaurant on board, an inquest has been told.
Sumith Gawas, aged 22, killed himself in his cabin on the Arcadia while it was docked in Southampton. Mr Gawas, from Collem, Goa, in India, worked in the self-service restaurant where colleagues caught him emptying the tips box in the early hours of July 16 this year.
When he was confronted by his supervisor, Dharmendra Jadav, he tried to hide £140 in notes he had taken but these were found nearby, the hearing in Southampton heard. The worker – described as popular – was one of the key-holders for the box, in which passengers could leave tips for crew at the end of a voyage.
After being caught, Mr Gawas was told to go to his cabin, the hearing heard. His body was discovered the following morning by his cabin mate Joel Fernandes.
Adrian Prangnell, security officer for P&O Cruises, told the hearing that Mr Gawas had £800 of cash on him, which was more than he would have earned. He said it appeared the waiter had taken from the box on more than one occasion.
Deputy Southampton Coroner Gordon Denson recorded a verdict of suicide and said the shame of the theft had clearly led to Gawas taking his life.