Overboard: NCL Shares Video Timeline

While their hurt and confusion is understandable, there was no apparent reason for the family of missing passenger Mindy Jordan to point the finger of blame on her companion Jorge Caputo or Norwegian Cruise Line. As related yesterday, the woman apparently fell overboard from Norwegian Dawn on Sunday evening and recovery efforts by the ship and US Coast Guard failed to rescue her.

Since learning of the tragedy, Ms. Jordan's family has granted numerous interviews with the media, including the Philadelphia Daily News, and urged an investigation into what they feared was foul play. Upon arrival in Bermuda on Wednesday, the ship was met by investigators from the FBI. Apparently the family was unaware that such an event is routinely investigated by the authorities.

Last night NCL began to offer answers to the family's questions and set the record straight. NCL had initially indicated that Ms. Jordan was "attempting to climb from one exterior balcony on deck nine to an adjoining balcony and fell overboard." Her son Barry Jordan said that was out of character for his mother and is quoted asking, "Did the cruise ship have cameras? Did they go through the cameras? I want to know the story."

Yes, the ship did have cameras and NCL's new statement reports that "advanced safety and surveillance system operating on Norwegian Dawn, including cameras in the interior hallways and on the exterior sides of the ship, has confirmed that Mindy Jordan was in her stateroom alone at the time of the incident."

Following is what the cameras determined:

• Jordan and Caputo dined at the Garden Café with the couple they were traveling with and then returned to their assigned adjacent staterooms at approximately 7:28 pm.
• At 7:36 pm., Caputo left his stateroom to join his friends in their stateroom next door. From that time on, Jordan was alone in her stateroom.
• At 7:53 pm., surveillance cameras from the exterior of the ship captured Jordan falling overboard from her balcony, straight into the water. Shortly thereafter, an emergency call was made from the friends' stateroom, and Caputo was seen exiting to seek help.
• At 7:57 p.m., a man overboard announcement was made and the ship's crew began lifesaving operations, including the launch of two rescue boats.

The cruise line also said it has offered to make arrangements for Jordan's family to join the ship today in Bermuda to view the surveillance footage, and "remains committed to assisting the family in any way possible during this tragic time."