The fiancee of Faster Pussycat frontman Taime Downe has died at sea after falling overboard from a cruise ship.
Kimberly Burch, 56, fell to her death ‘from a room balcony’ on the first night of The 80s Cruise on the Royal Caribbean cruise ship, Explorer of the Seas on March 2 – after an alleged ‘heated’ argument with the rocker, 60.
A Royal Caribbean Group spokesman confirmed to DailyMail.com: ‘Our crew immediately launched a search and rescue effort, is working with local authorities, and we are providing support and ᴀssistance to the guest’s family during this difficult time.
‘To respect the privacy of our guest’s family, we have no additional details to share.’
Kimberly had traveled on the seven day cruise to support Taime, who was performing with the punk band. The cruise departed from Miami and was set to visit Nᴀssau, San Juan, and Labadee.
She had been in a relationship with the rocker, 60, for around six years. Her body has not been recovered.
Hours before her death she posed up with Downe on the ship and wrote: ‘We made it to @the80scruise.’
The fiancee of Faster Pussycat frontman Taime Downe has died at sea after falling overboard from a cruise ship – pictured Kimberly Burch and Downe hours before her death Sunday
Downe, 60, is the lead vocalist of the iconic 80s metal band – pictured 2013 with Xristian Simon, Danny Nordahl, and Ace Von Johnson
Burch, 56, fell to her death shortly after an alleged heated argument with the rocker, 60, during The 80s Cruise on the Royal Caribbean cruise ship, Explorer of the Seas (pictured) on March 2
Kimberly’s mother Carnell Burch told TMZ Taime had called her on Monday to reveal Kimberly had died and that it is ‘still unclear’ whether her daughter jumped or accidentally fell from the ship, although she is ‘confident Kimberly would not purposefully hurt herself.’
Kimberly was drinking on the cruise, Carnell said, which was ‘out of character for her’ and Carnell claimed her daughter had had an argument with Taime before her death.
Carnell added her daughter was not suffering from depression or emotional issues at the time and was excited for the trip, which was in its first day and featured musical acts including Squeeze, Adam Ant, Tiffany and Men at Work.
Kimberly is said to have gone overboard on the first day of the cruise around 11pm EST – with a guest claiming on X she had ‘jumped from the balcony of her 8th floor room’ 80 miles from Miami.
They wrote: ‘Currently on the #RCL Explorer of the Seas for the #80scruise. Unfortunately, we have a “woman overboard’ situation and boats have been deployed. We are currently 80+ miles from Miami at 11pm PST. Not good.
‘It looks like the woman “jumped” from the balcony of her 8th floor room after an argument with her partner. This is our 15th cruise, and the first time we’ve actually experienced this.
‘Clearly, the priority is recovering the woman. And the boat has turned around and is at a ᴅᴇᴀᴅ stop. They have deployed boats for the search. Could be a long night….
Another guest wrote: ‘Person overboard on Royal Caribbean Explorer of the Seas. On the 80s Cruise. Just saw a great show by Squeeze, then it was announced a person is overboard. Ship is stopped and searching. Other nearby ships helping.
She had traveled on the seven day cruise to support Taime, who was performing with the punk band. The cruise departed from Miami and was set to visit Nᴀssau, San Juan, and Labadee
Kimberly is said to have gone overboard on the first day of the cruise around 11pm EST – with a guest claiming on X she had ‘jumped from the balcony of her 8th floor room’ 80 miles from Miami
Guests aboard the ship posted messages about the search on X
Kimberly and Taime had been together for around ‘five or six years’
A US Coast Guard spokesperson said the incident happened roughly 20 miles from Freeport, Bahamas.
The Coast Guard deployed a helicopter crew and other personnel to ᴀssist the Royal Bahamas Defense Force in their search – which was later suspended.
Kimberly and Taime had been together for around ‘five or six years.’
A pᴀssenger also told THR: ‘There was an announcement over the PA saying someone went overboard so the ship was going to stop and turn around to try and locate the person.
‘[The] ship was stopped for a few hours. Safety boats were deployed with floodlights to illuminate the surrounding area. Another cruise ship nearby had its floodlights on searching as well. My wife spoke with some people on one of the decks saying they heard that it was a woman and it was caught on camera. Can’t confirm though.
‘Eventually the ship powered up and off we went. This morning a PA announcement said that the US Coast Guard had taken over the search. We arrived at Nᴀssau, Bahamas a few hours behind schedule. No excursions were canceled. Haven’t heard anything since.’
Kimberly was drinking on the cruise, Carnell said, which was ‘out of character for her’
DailyMail.com has contacted representatives for Taime Downe, The 80s Cruise and Royal Caribbean for comment.
Glam metal band Faster Pussycat formed in 1985 comprised of Downe, guitarists Greg Steele and Brent Muscat and bᴀssist Kelly Nickels.
They forged a successful career over the late 1980s and early 1990s, selling over two million records worldwide
They have released four albums, Faster Pussycat (1987), Wake Me When It’s Over (1989), Whipped! (1992) and The Power and the Glory Hole (2006).
They broke up in 1993, but reformed in 2001.
Former drummer Brett Bradshaw died on March 26, 2021, at age 50.
