The father of a Florida man who went overboard from a Royal Caribbean cruise ship a week ago is convinced his son is still alive and did not commit suicide, adding that his son is a "master diver."
Levion Parker, 20, of North Port jumped or fell off the Liberty of the Seas cruise ship about 57 miles from Great Inagua between the Bahamas and Cuba in the early morning hours on April 4.
The U.S. Coast Guard called off the search for him on Wednesday.
But his father said it wasn't a suicide attempt and disputed reports the pair had an argument and his son jumped.
Francel Parker said his son is a master diver who works on a commercial fishing boat.
"As soon as he went off the side, I prayed over him. I was confident the prayers I said over my son were heard. I stand on the word of God. I believe he is alive," Francel Parker told the Sun North Port newspaper.
But he seemed to indicate his son was drunk at the time and wants to know how his 20-year-old son was served alcohol on the ship.
"We don't drink," Parker said. "I'd like to know how my son was served so much alcohol."
The New York Post previously reported that he was drunk before jumping and appeared to be bickering with his father.
His dad was fussing at him for being drunk, I guess," fellow Bryan Sims told the paper.
"When we got to them, he said to his dad, 'I'll fix this right now.' And he jumped out the window in front of us all."
The Broward County Sheriff's Office is investigating the case.
