A Tennessee riverboat cruise company says missing Mississippi mother-of-two, Tamia Taylor, who was last seen aboard the cruise ship, returned to the harbor and did not go overboard.
“We can confirm from video footage circling around that she was last seen on the boat as the boat was pulling into the Harbor, where we dock our boats. We have no reason to believe she could have gone overboard and we will be respecting MPD as they conduct their investigation. We hope she is found safe and returns home,” Island Queen Booze Cruise said in a statement.
As CrimeOnline previously reported, Memphis police issued an Urgent City Watch Alert for Taylor, who reportedly joined friends on the riverboat at 11:30 p.m. Saturday. When the cruise ended early Sunday morning and the boat docked, there was no sign of Taylor.
“We all out here because we love her, we care about her. We want her to return. Whether she comes back alive or whether I have to bury her, I need closure because I am hurting,” Tamia’s mother, Debra Taylor, told News 3.
UPDATE:
***CITY WATCH***
Have you seen Tamia Taylor? pic.twitter.com/CxnCmqkMWk— Memphis Police Dept (@MEM_PoliceDept) September 10, 2023
Taylor’s mother told FOX13 that her daughter arrived in Memphis Saturday night for her 21st birthday. She planned to celebrate with friends and then went on the riverboat cruise on Beale Street.
“Nothing about this whole scenario of the night adds up,” Debra said. “Nothing adds up.”
Debar said she was told that Taylor did indeed board the cruise ship. Afterward, her friends could not provide any explanations for what happened.
“I said, ‘What do you mean you don’t know?’ She said, ‘We don’t know. We lost her.’ How do you lose somebody that you came with?’”
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“She then gave me the story, ‘We were on the boat. We were getting out of the boat and Tamia says she had to go to the bathroom. She put her phone down to go back up to the second floor to use the bathroom. We picked up her phone. We went to the door to stand and wait on her and then we left.’”
Debra said she thinks people have more information but have not come forward, adding that she will continue to seek answers until she finds her daughter.
“This is not nothing that we’re going to let go as if she was a nobody because she’s a somebody and if no one cares, I care.”
Taylor is described as a Black female who stands 5 feet 7 inches tall and weighs around 125 pounds. She was last seen wearing a beige shirt, white shorts, white shoes, orange sockas, and a black jacket.
MPD confirmed that the Harbor Patrol Unit and Aviation units have been searching for Taylor, but have so far been unsuccessful.
Anyone with information is urged to contact Memphis Police at 901-545-2677 or CrimeStoppers at 901-528-2274.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
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[Feature Photo via Memphis PD]
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