Passenger Jumps to Death After Gambling Away $650k

A 51-year-old man leapt to his death from the 13th deck of a Star Cruises gambling ship, Sunday, after losing 5 million HKD ($650,000 USD) playing baccarat.

The Chinese man known as Xu, began playing baccarat on Saturday after dinner and played until the table closed at 8 a.m. Sunday morning. After accumulating huge loses during his all night gambling binge, Xu was seen climbing to the top deck of the ship. Witnesses report seeing him wander around the top deck for more than an hour. Around 9:50 a.m., when the ship was south of the Kwo Chau islands, Xu was seen jumping off the 13th deck.

Marine police and the Fire Services Department dispatched rescuers to the area and the Government Flying Services sent a helicopter. After an hour of searching, the man’s body was found.

The ship returned to port in Hong Kong, arriving at 12:30 p.m. with the body.

Star Cruises gambling vessel carries passengers out of Hong Kong to international waters, not subject to the gambling restrictions of China.

Source: The Standard