Nearly a year after 21-year-old South African waiter Laeeq Adams died aboard MSC Euribia, his family says their grief has been made even more painful by unanswered questions about his final hours.
Laeeq died on October 18, 2025, after reportedly becoming ill while working on the cruise ship. His family says it is still waiting for his complete medical records.
For those who loved him, Laeeq was much more than another name on a crew list.
“You were never just a number, and you were never ‘just a waiter’ on that ship,” his sister, Imaan Adams, wrote on social media. “You were a son, a brother, a boyfriend, a friend, and so much more to so many people who loved you.”
According to News24, crew members said Laeeq developed a fever and began vomiting. The family alleges that the ship’s doctor was called three times before a paramedic attended to him. They say that by the time medical help arrived, Laeeq had already died.
A post-mortem examination reportedly found that Laeeq suffered an acute lung injury. His family says it is still waiting for toxicology results that may provide more information about what caused his sudden death.
MSC Cruises South Africa told News24 that Laeeq died following a sudden cardiac arrest and that standard maritime procedures were followed. The cruise line also said it contributed toward his funeral expenses and made donations to two schools in his memory.
The company denied withholding documents, saying the family must first provide a death certificate before formal requests for the records can be processed.
Laeeq’s family, however, says it cannot understand why obtaining documents connected to his medical treatment has taken so long.
“What I refuse to understand is why it is so hard to provide our grieving family with the necessary reports,” his cousin, Muhammad Zaid Adams, wrote.
He also questioned how quickly Laeeq received medical attention and called for the release of the medical records and crew statements.
“Why did it take the medical services on board so long to get to him?” he asked. “It’s been almost a year and still nothing.”
Laeeq had celebrated his 21st birthday only 21 days before his death.
“You were only 21 for 21 days, and that breaks my heart in ways I can’t even put into words,” she wrote. “You had a life, a future, dreams, and a family who loved you deeply.”
The family continues to call for transparency and a complete account of the events leading to Laeeq’s death. Its members say they want access to the medical records, statements from those who were with him and answers about the response after he became sick.
“Our family deserves answers,” Imaan wrote. “We deserve to know what happened to you and why.”
Behind every crew member working far from home is a family waiting for a message, a phone call and the day they will return. For Laeeq’s family, that return never came. Now, they say, the least they deserve is clarity about how his life ended.
