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Jennilyn Blosser, of Crimora, says she and fiancé Ronnie Peale Jr. went on the cruise to celebrate her birthday.
The Carnival Magic cruise ship was less than 200 miles from Jacksonville, FL, when Peale leaned over their room balcony and fell into the water around 4:10 a.m. on Monday, May 29, NBC reports citing a statement from Carnival.
The ship was expected to return to Norfolk, VA Tuesday, May 30.
"This was Ronnie’s first cruise and thankfully he had a great time and made plenty of friends," Blosser writes on a GoFundMe she launched. "He is our social butterfly that was always on the move and loved to make friends with everyone.
"The cruise was definitely a place he enjoyed. I never could of imagine something like this could happen. Devastated to say the least."
People who met Peale on the cruise ship took to a Carnival Magic Facebook group to express condolences.
“Met him on the ship — he was so funny!" one person said. "Was having an[sic] great time, he talked about is[sic] girlfriend and how much he loved his dogs. I just hope and pray for him and loved ones.”
“Me and my son met Ronnie briefly on the first or second day," another added. "Ronnie was goofing around and making my son laugh and then they were playing fighting some street fighter moves. That’s too bad about him going over. Prayer to you and Ronnie.”
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