Tragic Death of Kelso Man on Cruise Ship: Family Faces Challenges in Securing Death Certificate

A Southwest Washington woman has shared her struggle to obtain a death certificate for her father, who passed away on a cruise ship. Candee Martello, along with her husband Cornelio “Neil” Clement Martello, embarked on a 16-night cruise aboard the Ruby Princess, visiting the Hawaiian Islands and Mexico. Unfortunately, on March 3, Cornelio died of natural causes while the ship was in international waters, just off the coast of Ensenada, Mexico.

“I found him the next morning. He looked very peaceful,” Candee remembered, noting that Cornelio had collapsed in the shower. The cruise line relocated her to another room after the tragedy, but Candee spent the remainder of the trip in isolation, returning to San Francisco with deep sorrow.

Back in Washington, Candee’s daughter, Aneilia Martello Moore, faced the daunting task of coordinating with ship doctors and funeral homes. However, obtaining Cornelio’s death certificate proved to be an arduous ordeal.

“The coroner said, ‘We didn’t do an examination on him—we can’t do a death certificate.’ San Francisco said, ‘Well, he’s not our problem; he’s Mexico’s problem. He should have gotten off the ship there,’” Aneilia described the blame-shifting between authorities.

For nearly two months, Aneilia communicated with multiple agencies, including the San Francisco Medical Examiner’s Office and the U.S. Coast Guard. Without the death certificate, they were unable to transport Cornelio’s remains back to Washington or carry out any legal or financial arrangements.

A lawyer, Adam Deitz, explained that generally, the death certificate is issued where the body is received, complicating cases of deaths occurring in international waters.

After much advocacy, the San Francisco Medical Examiner’s Office recently agreed to issue Cornelio’s death certificate. The Martello family, still in grief over their loss, expressed relief but also frustration at the lack of a clear process for such situations.

“This type of thing has happened before. Why is there not an established, step-by-step process for families to follow to avoid what we’ve gone through?” questioned Robert Moore, Aneilia’s husband.

Cornelio is remembered by his family as a proud veteran, an avid reader, and a storyteller with a treasure trove of experiences.

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