Vigils Held For Missing Cruise Ship Worker

Vigils Held For Missing Cruise Ship Worker

Candlelit vigils have taken place around the world for the missing cruise ship worker Rebecca Coriam, who has not been seen for almost two weeks.

The 24-year-old's parents and sister sky lanterns joined more than 150 relatives and friends in her home city of Chester at 8pm on Sunday, lighting candles and releasing 40 lanterns into the sky "to guide Rebecca home."

People from as far afield as Australia, Canada and the US pledged to do the same at 8pm in their respective time zones after a huge response to the idea on an internet forum.

Rebecca's uncle, John Jennings, told Sky News the family had been amazed by the reaction. "So many people have written kind messages about Rebecca and it's given the family real comfort," he said.

"We just feel so helpless at the moment, so when someone on the forum suggested this we were very touched."

Mr Jennings described the vigil at Chester Racecourse as "beautiful"and "incredibly emotional".

Five thousand miles away some sky lanterns passengers and crew on the Disney Wonder cruise ship were planning to light safe battery-operated candles to show their support for Rebecca's family.

Miss Coriam had been working as part of the youth programme on the vessel, which left Los Angeles on March 22nd for a week-long cruise along the Mexican Riviera.

The alarm was raised three days into the trip when Rebecca failed to turn up for her shift.

Despite onboard inspections and alerts to the 3,000 passengers the ship returned to LA without her.