A woman who fell overboard from a cruise liner while on a family holiday had left a review on a Facebook page before her death.
Natasha Schofield, 47, fell from the P&O cruise liner, Pacific Dawn, ‘intentionally’ in what was a ‘tragic end to a family holiday’, according to Queensland Police investigators.
Natasha had been at dinner with her husband before she was ‘lost overboard about 150 nautical miles west of New Caledonia’ on Thursday (April 12).
According to SBS News, her three children, two daughters and a son, all aged between 12 and 16, were also onboard.
Police Inspector Rob Graham said:
This wasn’t an accident. Let’s be open and honest about mental health. It’s a tragic end to what should’ve been a lifetime holiday experience for a loving family.
Her husband was standing right next to her when she went over.
After Natasha fell her husband immediately raised the alarm, before the ship turned around and a search began.
Inspector Graham added: ‘We’re just lucky that there’s not two people missing.’
On February 23, Natasha had posted a review on the page of a hypnotherapist saying the strive had ‘changed her life’.
She wrote:
Your sessions and audio recording have been life-changing for me. I am calmer, I have clarity in my thoughts and I am finding mindfulness so easy now.
To anyone who is thinking of making an appointment, do it, she is amazing and could just be the answer you are looking for.
Mrs Schofield’s body is yet to be found. She’s reportedly presumed dead after the police reviewed CCTV footage and witness testimony, which led them to the conclusion her actions were deliberate.
The CCTV reportedly shows Mrs Schofield and her husband walking along the deck of the ship after having dinner before she went overboard, according to Inspector Graham
The cruise operator, Carnival Australia, said it was cooperating fully with the police investigation.
Their statement reads:
We will be able to give police CCTV footage providing an unobstructed view of what happened and portraying an obviously devoted and loving couple.
We extend our deepest condolences to the family and hope that they will find comfort in their grief.
Counselling is available for passengers.
The search for Natasha lasted almost 16 hours before it was called off at 7.30am on the Friday, when it was called off and the trajectory to Brisbane was established.
According to reports, the search was abandoned because at this stage, survival ‘after this length of time in difficult sea conditions and after a full night at sea was not considered possible’.
Our thoughts are with Mrs Schofield’s friends and family during this difficult time.
