'Non-event' Comment Angers Victim's Family
March 19, 2006 — -- It's a mystery that captivated the nation: After a night of heavy drinking with his new wife Jennifer Hagel Smith, newlywed George Allen Smith disappeared from his Royal Caribbean cruise ship.
Traces of blood found at the scene led investigators and family members to suspect foul play.
Yet after eight long months of intense media scrutiny and no answers, Robert Dickinson, the CEO of Carnival Cruise Lines, called the disappearance a "non-event," angering the Smith family.
Dickinson, who made the remarks while defending the safety standards aboard cruise lines, has since apologized, saying he never meant to minimize their loss.
But that is not enough for the Smiths.
"I just could not believe that my son's life would be called a non-event," said Maureen Smith, George Smith's mother. "It's like a dagger had pierced my heart all over again."
The Smith family is calling on Carnival Cruise Lines to fire Dickinson.
"How can he do this to people when we're going through such bad times?" Maureen Smith said.
The family remains convinced their son was murdered, and accuses Royal Caribbean of holding back information, a claim the company denies.
The family's latest fight with Carnival is part of a larger battle.
"They need to police the cruise ships," said Maureen Smith. "It's the Wild West on the open seas.""We will go on forever until we get justice for my son," said her husband, George Smith.
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