Woman Who Died After Falling Off Queen Mary Identified
The 26-year-old woman who fell 75 feet to her death off the Queen Mary on Monday night has been publicly identified as Kelly Ryann Dorrell of Long Beach.
Belmont Shore-Naples Patch reports that Dorrell was a Milliken High and UC Santa Barbara graduate who was working toward her teaching certificate. She hoped to become a Long Beach elementary school teacher.
Police have evidence supporting the claim that Dorrell was drinking prior to the incident. Friends of Dorrell say she and her boyfriend were participating in a pub crawl on Monday night, reports Contra Costa Times. A bar aboard the Queen Mary served as one of the stops.
During an argument with her boyfriend, Dorrell reportedly climbed a four-feet-high railing along the ocean liner's uppermost gangway and lost her footing, according to authorities, witnesses and coroner's spokesman Craig Harvey.
Dorrell fell into the shallow, 60-degree water around 8:30pm. Her boyfriend, who has not been identified, dove 15 feet into the water in a failed attempt to save the victim. He was transported to a hospital and treated for hypothermia.
Long Beach police spokeswoman Nancy Pratt told City News Service, "When officers arrived, three people were in the water. One officer went in right away to assist. The boyfriend was unable to get out, because he was suffering from hypothermia. A second officer went in to help him."
Dorrell was declared dead shortly after arriving at the hospital. Pratt says officials have ruled out suicide as a possible cause of death, stating that Dorrell's death is an apparent accident. An autopsy scheduled for Thursday will determine the cause of death. The police investigation continues.
