Mr O’Keefe was spotted flicking a cigarette overboard by a P&O security office and was warned by the security guard. Later reports say he was disembarked on an island, where he boarded a small aircraft which took him to Denpasar.
Ms O’Keefe alleges her father was then left to find his own way home from Bali, reports say.
“The captain said ‘you’re off’ – no letting my dad apologise, no option of cutting him off at the bar, no giving him a fine. Nothing.”
“My dad is 58 in a few weeks – he’s ex-army, SAS, with cancer and cholesterol problems – and my mum handles all his medication,” she reportedly said.
“My mum couldn’t leave with him, because they scrimped and saved every penny for this holiday, so they couldn’t afford the two tickets home.”
P&O spokesman David Jones reportedly said that it would have been no surprise if a passenger was kicked off a ship for flicking a cigarette overboard.
“The issue of fire safety on board is of highest priority,” he said.
“The mandatory passenger safety muster on embarkation includes an explicit warning about the dangers associated with disposing of cigarettes over the side.”
“A lighted cigarette can be drawn into the ship posing a serious risk to the ship and the safety of passengers and crew.”
P&O’s “safety muster” is a compulsory briefing given to all passengers, which covers the code of conduct and emergency procedures of a vessel.
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Source: WAtoday
