Denver father-of-four revealed as man who leapt to his death from Norwegian Epic despite 75-year-old mother's desperate attempt to stop him

A financial advisor father-of-four drowned after he leapt off the side of a luxury Caribbean cruise ship – despite his elderly mom's brave efforts to restrain him.

Police investigators in the Bahamas believe Dan McGilvray, 51, could have suffered an adverse reaction to medication he took to treat seizures.

Sources say the 'distressed' dad from Broomfield, Colorado, woke up around 3pm on December 26 screaming 'I can't take it anymore'.

Family members including his 75-year-old mother Gerda McGilvray are said to have struggled in vain to prevent him from clambering over a balcony and jumping from Norwegian Epic.

They could only watch in horror as the senior wealth advisor broke free and jumped overboard, bouncing off a lifeboat and disappearing beneath the waves.

Bahamian search teams combed the ocean 30miles east of Long Island assisted by the US Coast Guard and a passing cruise liner from the Holland America Line.

Their frantic efforts were captured in videos posted to social media by worried passengers as their $1.2billion ship suddenly halted its voyage from Ocho Rios, Jamaica, to Great Stirrup Cay in the Bahamas.

'They put up a flare, they're circulating, we did an entire circle looking for the guy that jumped off the boat,' said an onlooker, pointing her camera towards a lifeboat attached to a lower deck.

'He jumped, he fell and bounced off of one of these and fell into the water.'

A day later the Royal Bahamas Police Force confirmed the search was unsuccessful and the boat diverted to Nassau where it was met by law enforcement.

It's understood that on-board security camera footage backed the family's horrific depiction of events and there is no suggestion McGilvray's death was suspicious.

'Preliminary reports indicate that sometime around 3pm the victim became distressed and despite attempts to restrain him, he jumped from a balcony into the sea,' police said in a statement.

'Rescue efforts by OPBAT (a coast guard unit combining rescuers from the Bahamas and Turks and Caicos islands) and the cruise ship personnel were conducted but proved fruitless in locating him.'

The tragedy came several days into a seven-night Christmas cruise that departed Cape Canaveral on December 21 to spend the festive period touring Cozumel, Grand Cayman and Jamaica before returning to Florida on December 28.

A spokesman for Norwegian Cruise Line added: 'The guest was traveling with a large group and his family on board is being attended to and supported during this very challenging situation.

'Our thoughts and prayers are with his loved ones during this difficult time.'

A GoFundMe campaign was created on Saturday to support the family and said: 'We are devastated to let you know that Dan McGilvray has unexpectedly passed away at the age of 51. His wife, Heather, and four sons need their friends' support in many areas right now. 

'As you also know, Dan was the primary provider for their family and the next year will be incredibly difficult for Heather to support her boys and learn to live without Dan.

'If you knew Dan, we know you loved him, because he was brilliant, honest, hardworking, funny and devoted to his family and friends. Thank you for honoring his legacy with any support you can provide to his family during this difficult time.'

McGilvray, a senior wealth advisor for investment firm Beacon Pointe, lived in the Denver suburb of Broomfield with his wife Heather, 52, and their four boys.

He had worked in various finance roles including a stint as financial manager for the Air Force Space and Missile Center for which he earned an Air Force Commendation.

The veteran advisor majored in business administration at the University of Colorado at Boulder, earned an MBA from Indiana University and recently graduated from Schwab's Executive Leadership Program.

He served on the committee of Denver non-profit Cross Purpose, volunteered at his children's schools and enjoyed travel, tennis and golf, according to his profile on the Beacon Pointe website.

His mom Gerda volunteered for the Life Center Littleton, a Denver-based church community center. 'Serving others is doing what the Savior did so that is the call,' she wrote under a 2020 Facebook post.

'As a Jesus-follower, I am asked to reach out to the widows, orphans, and aliens....the Life Center is a perfect place to do that. Besides, I love serving!'

Family members did not immediately respond to DailyMail.com.

The Norwegian Epic was the third largest cruise ship in the world when it was launched in 2009, with enough berths for 4,100 passengers.

The 155,000-ton vessel boasts six restaurants, an open-air nightclub, rappelling wall and a 200ft water slide.

In February 2019 it suffered a critical engine failure and collided with a dock in San Juan, Puerto Rico, ripping a 6ft gash in the hull and causing $9million worth of damage to a pier.

Four months later a 63-year-old South Korean passenger fell overboard during a voyage from Cannes in France to Palma de Mallorca in Spain's Balearic Islands.

She was never found.