Ex-wife of man who 'vanished' from cruise ship believes he is still alive

09 October 2023 , 13:04

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His ex-wife says McGrath "isn't a bad guy at all" and points at his history as a veteran and his relationship with his children (Image: ABC)

The ex-wife of a man who sparked a Coast Guard search after vanishing off a Carnival Cruise boat months after being placed on probation says that she believes 'he's alive' somewhere.

She added that she missed her husband and hoped he'd come home. Kevin McGrath was just put on probation for threatening his ex, Addison Thomas and her children. Despite that, Thomas says McGrath was 'a good person.'

McGrath 'vanished' off a Labor Day cruise from Miami to the Bahamas during his father's 60th birthday celebration. When the ship everyone got off the ship, McGrath was nowhere to be found. The crew on the boat said the ship's 'overboard' alarm was not triggered, suggesting that he didn't fall over. Numerous searches turned up nothing.

READ MORE: Carnival Cruise passenger, 30, still missing after jumping off ship near Florida

Kevin McGrath, the missing Carnival cruise passenger who mysteriously vanished during a Bahamas trip shown here with his family (ABC)

McGrath pleaded guilty to aggravated assault in September 2022 after threatening to kill his family. He was sentenced to six years of supervised probation, according to legal docs.

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Thomas, in a video to TMZ said that she would speak to her ex nearly every day and that there was "no bad blood." She also said they still a "love connection" between them. "In my heart, I still think he is alive. I don't think he is dead or anything... I just want him found alive and safe."

She continued to defend McGrath, stating: "He'd call his daughter every night. He'd talk to her before bed. It was his nightly routine. It wasn't like to him to not talk at all. It just sucks. We have to wake up every day wondering, 'Where is Kevin?'" said Thomas. "I just want him found alive and safe; that would literally put the pressure off my heart," she said in part.

McGrath's ex-wife says she hopes he's found alive and well (Handout)

She said there was "nothing negative between them" before he went missing. "Our relationship was not bad at all,' she said. 'We still had that love connection. That bonding. It never ended regardless of the past, it was always still there," said Thomas. She also wanted people to know that McGrath is not a "dangerous person" and clarified that the charges were from years ago.

"Nobody should look at the charge and say, 'That is why he is missing. That is not the case here," she insisted. "Kevin is a human. He was a soldier. He fought for your country. He didn't have to fight for you guys and you are treating him like this dangerous guy."

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She also spoke of the negative talk she sees circulating on social media. "The family sees the TikTok's. We see the news. We see the negative comments. We don't want you guys to assume the worst because of his charges. He is not a dangerous person."

"We are not afraid of Kevin. We love Kevin. He was literally the life of the party and not a bad person at all. I just want him to know that we love him dearly. He knows that. We just want him found and want him to come home to his family," concluded Thomas.

"I know when you see the news and all the negative talk, but we know deep down the truth and I just pray that you are found safe."

Yelena Mandenberg