The perplexing case of a missing American tourist on a Caribbean island has now reached international dimensions, as officials report sightings of the woman on the French side of the territory after she missed her cruise’s scheduled departure.
WASHINGTON — The disappearance of Ann Evans, a 55-year-old U.S. citizen vacationing in the Caribbean, has taken an unexpected twist. Authorities in Sint Maarten have revealed that a woman resembling Evans has been spotted on the French portion of the island, adding a layer of complexity to the case.
Evans had been enjoying a cruise aboard the Rotterdam, a vessel operated by Holland America Line. Her journey included a stop at Port St. Maarten in Philipsburg on November 20, where she joined a guided island tour, according to the Sint Maarten Police Force.
According to a missing person alert released on Wednesday, the police reported, “At approximately 10:00 a.m., she departed the ship on an organized island tour. During the tour, Ms. Evans disembarked the bus in Marigot, French Saint Martin, but did not return to the bus or to the cruise vessel.”
In response to the situation, Holland America issued a statement to USA Today, confirming their immediate notification of local authorities. The cruise line emphasized their commitment to collaborating closely with officials to determine Evans’ location.
The plot thickened the following day when the Police Force of Sint Maarten updated the public via Facebook. They announced that a woman resembling Evans had been seen on the French side of the island, broadening the scope of the investigation to an international scale.
“Based on information gathered during the investigation, KPSM has reason to believe that a female matching Ms. Evans’ description checked into a hotel on the French side of the island using her passport,” officials wrote. “She has also reportedly been seen in the surrounding area of that establishment.”
Sint Maarten is a Dutch colony that occupies half the island of Saint Martin. The other half is occupied by a French colony called Saint-Martin.
French authorities on the north side of the island are in contact with police on the south side, and are working to confirm reports that Evans was seen there.
The Rotterdam, Evans’ cruise ship, left Fort Lauderdale on Nov. 16 and is currently on a 12-day cruise through the Caribbean.
Her disappearance is the latest cruise-line incident to make headlines.
Earlier in November, the body of 18-year-old Anna Kepner was found under a bed aboard a Carnival cruise ship. Law enforcement sources told CBS News that Kepner’s body was found by a housekeeper under the bed in her stateroom on the ship, which returned to Port Miami on Nov. 8.
Kepner died of “mechanical asphyxia,” according to a death certificate obtained by ABC News.
Authorities have kept details of the investigation under wraps but told the family that Anna’s 16-year-old stepbrother was considered a suspect in the death. According to ABC News, the Kepners were told by authorities that the stepbrother was “the only one seen going in and the only one seen going out” from the room, per the security cameras.
And in October, a luxury cruise was canceled mid-trip after an 80-year-old woman was left behind during an island excursion and died on a remote island near Australia.
The woman, identified as Suzanne Rees, was found dead after being left behind on Lizard Island, one of the first stops on the 60-day voyage. The reported $50,000 voyage was scheduled to take passengers around Australia, eventually reaching Western Australia.
CEO of Coral Expeditions, the cruise operator, Mark Fifield, told BBC the remainder of the trip was cancelled due to the “tragic passing of Suzanne Rees and previous mechanical issues.” He added that the company was issuing full refunds and coordinating flights for all passengers.
Rees was reported missing after crew members aboard the Coral Adventurer confirmed she had not returned to the ship. A land and sea search was launched, and her body was discovered on the island a day later.
