Simone WilsonThe young Long Beach woman who died after falling from the Queen Mary's uppermost gangway on Monday evening has been identified as 26-year-old Kelly Ryann Dorrell.
“Public records show that she was a 2003 graduate of Robert A. Millikan High School in Long Beach,” reports Patch Belmont Shore-Naples. [Update: She also listed herself as a graduate of UC Santa Barbara who hoped to become an elementary-school teacher.]
Witnesses told police that they saw Dorrell scale the plank's four-foot rail at about 8:30 p.m. …
… during what appeared to be an argument with her boyfriend. They also thought they saw her drinking — a speculation confirmed today by Long Beach police spokeswoman Nancy Pratt, who tells NBC LA that “we have evidence to support saying the victim was intoxicated.” (The L.A. County Coroner's Office will have to complete a toxicology test before that can be confirmed.)
Dorrell fell 75 feet from the Queen Mary's top gangway.; Credit: Chris Baldwin via Flickr
The man with whom Dorrell was allegedly arguing — believed to be her 40-year-old boyfriend — “grabbed her but could not hold her and she fell into a channel of water between the ship and land,” reports Patch.
Since its glory days during World War II, the Queen Mary has been converted into a stationary tourist attraction. It's currently docked at Queensway Bay.
After Dorrell jumped from the gangway Monday night, both her “boyfriend” and a hotel employee tried jumping in after her, followed by a couple emergency responders. But the water was too cold for anyone to survive for long.
“When officers arrived, three people were in the water,” Pratt tells City News Service. “One officer went in right away to assist. The boyfriend was unable to get out because he was suffering from hypothermia. A second officer went in to help him.”
More from Patch:
Two witnesses told Patch they saw the couple's argument at length bout could not hear much of it, until they heard Dorrell say “I don't want to live” and move toward the railing. Whether she intended to jump or stand on the outside of the railing is not clear thus far.
Did you know Kelly Dorrell, or witness her tragic plunge into the bay on Monday? Please share below.
[@simone_electra / swilson@laweekly.com / @LAWeeklyNews]
Advertising disclosure: We may receive compensation for some of the links in our stories. Thank you for supporting LA Weekly and our advertisers.