The man who jumped to his death from the deck of Royal Caribbean’s Icon of the Seas in May has been identified as a highly decorated retired military veteran who suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Lieutenant Colonel James Bryan Wright, 53, was on the first day of a week-long cruise from Florida to the Caribbean with his wife Tracie when passengers raised the alarm about a man overboard at 7.50am on May 26.
A newly released incident report from the Miami-Dade Police Department reveals that the Gaston, South Carolina, couple got into a fight at their cabin shortly before he disappeared 300 miles off the coast of Florida.
‘Contact was made with Mrs. Wright who advised that she and her husband were involved in a physical altercation which resulted in Mrs. Wright leaving the cabin leaving Mr. Wright inside,’ it said.
‘Shortly after the altercation, Mr. Wright exited the cabin and proceeded to deck five, where he entered a secure, enclosed area and proceeded to jump off the ship.’
Lt. Col. James Bryan Wright, 53, jumped from the fifth deck of the Icon of the Seas
The world’s largest cruise ship was on the first day of a week-long cruise from Florida to the Caribbean when passengers raised the alarm about a man overboard at 7.50am on May 26.
The world’s largest cruise ship has been ordered to stop as the search for a missing father of two begins.
Passengers shared images of the rescue on social media as the search continued, with some saying he had been found alive.
Two hours after he jumped, one of the ship’s rescue boats found him floating before taking him back on board, where staff unsuccessfully attempted to resuscitate him before he was declared dead at 9.58am.
An obituary reveals that he spent 30 years in the military after enlisting in the South Carolina Air National Guard in 1988.
He was stationed at Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan in 2012 as the director of personnel and human resources for the Joint Special Operations Task Force, and retired in 2018 as the deputy director of human resources for the South Carolina National Guard’s Joint Force Headquarters.
“Bryan was compassionate toward the men and women who served under his command,” his obituary states. “During his service in Afghanistan, Bryan flew to many combat zones to visit soldiers and personnel assigned to his command.
‘He had the honor of awarding numerous Purple Hearts and other distinguished decorations to many heroes who served so selflessly to protect the freedoms we all enjoy.’
Wright’s son, Nicholas, a law graduate from Citadel Military College in South Carolina, married in January of last year.
Wright’s daughter, Victoria, is a pediatric nurse at Batesburg-Leesville.
In a tragic twist, it emerged that the veteran’s younger brother, William, 49, died just two days after Wright’s death.
The cruise ship was plunged into chaos after the alarm was raised on board.
Passenger Zachary Normand was in the dining room having dinner with 300 other people when the ship’s captain announced that the man had been found.
“Everyone in the dining room clapped and we said ‘yes,'” Normand told the New York Post. “We assumed the boy was OK.”
He says they were informed that a rescue mission was going to be carried out and that the ship would turn around.
But only later did they learn that the passenger had died.
To Normandin’s surprise, he said the atmosphere on board was completely surreal and most people just carried on enjoying their holiday as if nothing had happened.
“I don’t think everyone knows that the man died. I think it has been kept quiet on purpose,” Normandin added.
Wright earned a large number of decorations during his decades in the military, including the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, the Meritorious Service Medal with 2 bronze oak leaf clusters, the Air Force Commendation Medal with 2 bronze oak leaf clusters, and the Army Commendation Medal.
The family was members of Gantt Street Baptist Church in Gaston, where their daughter, Victoria, a pediatric nurse, plays bass.
His son Nicholas holds a law degree from Citadel Military College in South Carolina and married his long-time girlfriend, Emily, in January of last year.
Wright was in critical condition when he was brought back to the ship, where he was pronounced dead, but passengers cheered and celebrated after he was found, unaware that he had died.
The ship was stopped for two hours while crews assisted with the search and rescue mission.
In a tragic twist, it emerged that the veteran’s younger brother, William, 49, died just two days after Wright’s death.
The 1,200-foot-long Icon of the Seas made its maiden voyage in January.
The $2 billion ship has capacity for 7,600 passengers and 2,350 crew, plus a 55-foot man-made waterfall, 40 restaurants and bars, seven pools including a 40,000-gallon “lake,” 50 musicians and comedians and a 16-piece orchestra.
In April, Levion Parker, 20, jumped overboard from a Royal Caribbean cruise ship in front of his horrified family.
The 18-story Liberty of the Seas was traveling between Cuba and Grand Inagua Island in the Bahamas when the tragedy occurred.
Wright was buried with full military honors at Fort Jackson National Cemetery in Columbia, South Carolina.