What was supposed to be a fun, kid-free vacation to the Bahamas became a nightmare trip of survival for two Kentucky moms.
Lifelong friends Amber Shearer and Dongayla Dobson were allegedly drugged and sexually assaulted when they stopped on Grand Bahama Island during a Carnival cruise, according to news outlets.
They sipped cocktails that they got from the resort during their stop on Grand Bahama Island and went out to the beach to find seashells for their kids, they told LEX 18.
“After the first drink, we had to get out of the office because we noticed it was just hitting so hard. I felt so out of it,” Dobson told “Good Morning America.” Then they lost consciousness.
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Amber Shearer, left, and Dongayla Dobson, the two Kentucky moms who were allegedly sexually assaulted during their vacation to the Bahamas. (Amber Nicole Shearer/Facebook)
That was when members of the Freeport resort staff allegedly sexually assaulted the two women, they said on “Good Morning America.”
“I vaguely remember glimpses of his face,” Dobson said. “I don’t remember everything. I remember enough that he was a staff worker, he had a goatee, and he was a local.”
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Their toxicology results came back with a mix of drugs in their systems.
The Royal Bahama Police Force said in a Feb. 4 statement that they arrested two men – ages 54 and 40 – in connection with the alleged sexual assault. Their names were not released.
“Active police investigations continue into this matter,” the Royal Bahama Police Force said.
Amber Shearer, right, and Dongayla Dobson said they were given drinks at a Freeport resort in the Bahamas that was laced with drugs before their alleged sexual assault. (Amber Nicole Shearer/Facebook)
One of the survivor’s parents said in a GoFundMe post that they were video chatting from the beach the morning of the alleged attack.
“They were having a drink and enjoying themselves, but they seemed off. I thought it was probably just the connection or me,” Frankie King, the fundraiser’s organizer, said in the post.
“Barely an hour later, I received the most horrifying text of my life, ‘Call us now we’ve been drugged and raped.’”
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It was a long wait for their family members, according to the GoFundMe post. “A parent’s worst nightmare.”
However, they finally returned to the United States, where they learned the Department of State issued a level two travel advisory to the Bahamas because of high crime.
“The majority of crime occurs on New Providence (Nassau) and Grand Bahama (Freeport) islands,” according to the state department warning, which mentioned spikes in violent crimes like armed robberies and sexual assaults because of gang activity.
The women suffered injuries during the alleged attack, including bruises throughout their bodies, they said. (Amber Nicole Shearer/Facebook)
“We didn’t know there was a travel advisory until four hours after we were raped,” the women told local news outlet LEX 18, adding they were never made aware of the advisory before the trip.
They are both receiving medical care at home in Kentucky, which includes thousands of dollars in preventative care, including HIV prevention, LEX 18 reported.
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“We want justice for what happened to us. We want to raise awareness for others,” Shearer said. “Be safe. Two is not a group. Do not buy any drinks that come unless they come in a sealed container, in a bottle.”
