While police continue to search for missing Mississippi woman, Tamia Taylor, a driver says he spotted her on dry land, following a Tennessee riverboat cruise.
As CrimeOnline previously reported, Memphis police issued an Urgent City Watch Alert for Taylor, who reportedly joined friends on the Island Queen Booze Cruise in Memphis at 11:30 p.m. Saturday. When the cruise ended early Sunday morning and the boat docked, there was no sign of Taylor.
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.
Now, police say a security camera captured Taylor standing on the dock of the riverboat following the cruise, while a golf cart taxi driver said he saw her with friends, adding that she appeared drunk.
“She was intoxicated, very intoxicated, and she was with some other people,” driver Jay Munn told Fox 13. “Everybody seemed happy. It wasn’t anything out of the ordinary.”
Munn said he spotted Taylor with a man and two women but couldn’t give them a ride because he already picked up other passengers. He later headed back to the riverboat area and asked Taylor’s group, who were on Riverside Drive, if they still needed a ride, but they declined.
“I’m like, ‘Hey, do you guys need a ride?’” Munn said. “They were like, ‘No, we’re good, we’re straight.’ From that point, I just went on and found somebody else that needed a ride.”
“My heart goes out to the family. I just wish there was something more that could have been done. Hindsight is 20/20.”
Debra said earlier this week that Taylor’s friends have not provided any explanations for what happened.
“I said, ‘What do you mean you don’t know?’ She [Taylor’s friend] said, ‘We don’t know. We lost her.’ How do you lose somebody that you came with?’”
“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.’”
Island Queen Booze Cruise confirmed in a statement that Taylor did board the ship and did not appear to go overboard. The Memphis Police Department said that the Harbor Patrol Unit and Aviation units have been searching for Taylor, but have so far been unsuccessful.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
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[Feature Photo via Memphis PD]
