A man who fell off a cruise ship in the middle of the night after last being seen on his balcony has been named as Australian dad-of-two and entrepreneur Jon Pfahl, 37.
He was on board the Royal Caribbean's Symphony of the Seas ship in the Virgin Islands when he plunged into the water between St Thomas and St Kitts in the early hours of Wednesday morning.
It's said Jon was on the trip with his wife Lisa and two and children celebrating her birthday.
Friends have described Jon as a 'great bloke' and said they've been left 'distraught' by his death.
Royal Caribbean say they turned the ship around immediately after realising Jon had gone overboard and a rescue boat was launched.
Sadly his body was recovered and returned to the ship. The company is launching an investigation as to how he fell from the ship after last being seen on his balcony.
'We are deeply saddened by the tragic incident that occurred on the Symphony of the Seas en route to St Thomas,' a spokesperson told news.com.au.
'Our hearts go out to the family and loved ones for their loss, and our care team is providing support and assistance during this difficult time.'
Mr Pfahl was brought up in Sydney and went to Knox Grammar School and the University of Sydney before launching his mentoring business Rockstar Group in the UK which encouraged wealthy people to invest their money. Through his work he'd met many prominent celebrities including Richard Branson and Bob Geldof.
The Symphony of the Seas is the largest cruise ship in the world with a capacity to carry 6,680 people and was built at a cost of $1.35 million in 2015.
