Rockstar’s Fiancée Falls Overboard on Cruise Ship Following Argument: What We Know About Kimberly Burch’s Death

Faster Pussycat singer Taime Downe’s fiancée, Kimberly Burch, is presumed dead after reportedly falling overboard on a Royal Caribbean cruise. Burch, 56, was reportedly aboard the Royal Caribbean Explorer of the Seas’ The ’80s Cruise, a decade-themed trip the glam-metal band was booked to play during, when she fell “from a room balcony” on the first night of the seven-day trip, her mother, Carnell Burch, confirmed to TMZ.

“It is with broken hearts that we share the sad news that Kimberly Burch has passed away,” Burch’s family announced on Facebook Tuesday. “She was a beloved daughter, sister, sister-in-law and aunt. She will be greatly missed by all that knew and loved her. We ask for prayers during this time for our family as we try to wrap our minds around this heartbreaking tragedy. We love and miss you Kimberly Burch!!”

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A post shared by Kimberly Burch (@burchkimberly)

Burch boarded the cruise ship on Sunday in Miami with Downe, whose band Faster Pussycat had been booked as one of the cruise’s musical guests alongside Squeeze, Adam Ant, Christopher Cross, and Men at Work. The cruise was set to travel to Nassau, San Juan, and Labadee. However, at around 11 p.m. Monday, as Squeeze was playing, “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,” one passenger, who wished to remain anonymous, told The Hollywood Reporter. The ship was reportedly stopped for “a few hours” before it returned to its voyage. The incident occurred approximately 20 miles away from Freeport, Bahamas.

Carnell learned of the incident Monday when Downe called her. She said her daughter went overboard following an argument with the rocker. At this time, it remains unclear whether Burch jumped or accidentally fell from the ship, though her mother said she is “confident Kimberly would not purposefully hurt herself.” Carnell explained her daughter had reportedly been drinking on the cruise, which was “out of character for her.” She added that Burch didn’t have any emotional issues that she was aware of at the time and was excited for the trip, even posting about it on social media Sunday.

In a statement shared with TMZ, a Royal Caribbean spokesperson confirmed that a passenger went overboard Monday, telling the outlet, “Our crew immediately launched a search and rescue effort, is working with local authorities, and we are providing support and assistance 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.”

The Coast Guard deployed a helicopter crew and other personnel to assist the Royal Bahamas Defense Force in their search, which was later halted, TMZ reported. Burch’s body has not been recovered at this time. The cruise is scheduled to return to Miami on March 9.

Burch, a realtor, had been dating Downe for more than five years. Downe is best known as a founding member of Faster Pussycat, the hard rock band he formed in 1985 with guitarists Greg Steele and Brent Muscat and bassist Kelly Nickels. The band has released a total of four albums and is known for songs like “Babylon,” “Bathroom Wall” “House of Pain” and “Nonstop to Nowhere.”