Woman disappears from Carnival Cruise ship

Reported by: Jenna Susko
NBC

He was on a cruise with his wife when she disappeared.  Now, a Bay Minette, Alabama man is telling his side of the story. 

50-year-old Michelle Vilborg is believed to have fallen overboard from the Mobile-based "Holiday" cruise ship, last Monday night.

A cruise to Cozumel was how the Vilborg and her husband, Swede, wanted to celebrate their 30 years together and celebrate Michelle's 50th birthday.

"It was a spur of the moment thing, just something that we did," Swede Vilborg said.

"I hugged her, told her I loved her," Michelle's son, Eric, said. "She danced to the car and was, you know, excited to go."  

Around 11 p.m., on the couple's first night aboard the Holiday, Michelle disappeared. 

Swede recalled the last moments he saw his wife.  She was going to jump in the shower He was going to sleep. 

"I'm laying in the bed, I can hear the water turn on, and I dozed off," Vilborg said.

Vilborg said he woke up 45 minutes later and Michelle was gone. 

"Personally, I think there is foul play involved," Vilborg said. "Someone knocked on the door. She is gullible.  I honestly believe that's what happened.  I don't know why she didn't wake me up or push me or say somebody is here." 

He says someone heard a splash. Officials told everyone to go back to their rooms. 

"I told information 'I believe I know who is missing,'" Vilborg said.

Vilborg does not believe his wife committed suicide or that she fell overboard.  He also says he had nothing to do with her disappearance. 

"Are you serious?" Vilborg asked. "Of course not.  That's the craziest question I've ever heard.  I fell asleep for 45 minutes. That's my crime right there. I fell asleep for 45 minutes.  I didn't wait for her to come to bed. I just fell asleep.  It's the only time I cannot account for."

Michelle's body has not been found.  Her son, Eric, just wants to know what happened to his mother.

"I feel a little bit of hope," he said. "Nobody has found her. Maybe some small boat picked her up. You hope that, but you know it's not true.  It's hard to lose one of your best friends and your mother at the same time." 

The Coast Guard called off the search for Vilborg last Thursday after combing an area the size of Delaware.