Woman's body found in cruise vent, four months after holiday
A woman’s body has been found in an air vent on a cruise ship, four months after the German pensioner disappeared.
Imelda Bechstein’s body has been found inside a maintenance shaft after she apparently wandered into the engine room and toppled over.
The 74-year-old had spent a week in Italy on the ‘Sharden’ in October 2016 with her husband Ernst.
Mr Bechstein went to sleep on a sun lounger next to his wife but woke to discover her missing.
The pensioner looked on the ferry, which can carry up to 2908 passengers and 850 cars, but could not locate his wife.
The ship was searched, but Mrs Bechstein was not located, with authorities fearing the 74-year-old fell overboard.
Autopsy results showed that Imelda had died the night after she vanished and no other signs of violence were found on the body other than injuries from falling down the shaft.
“She should not have been able to enter the engine room area, it should have been curtained off,” Mr Bechstein said.
“I want to be able to at least bury my wife. She should finally find her last resting place.”
An investigation is now underway.
