Photo: Facebook
He drowned during an underwater proposal.
By Rebekah Kuschmider — Written on Sep 24, 2019
Steven Weber and his girlfriend Kenesha Antoine were taking a trip of a lifetime to Tanzania last week. The couple, who live in Lousiana, was enjoying a suite that included an underwater room as part of the accommodations. Weber swam up to the window of the room and proposed to Antoine with a note, then showed her a ring before swimming off.
He never made it to the surface.
Now Antoine and Weber's family are dealing with the horror of his accidental drowning on what should have been one of the happiest days of his life.
How did Steven Weber die exactly? Read on for all the details.
1. Underwater hotel rooms
Weber and Antoine were on a vacation to a Tanzania, trip their families said had been planned for over a year. They were staying at a resort that featured underwater rooms: "Anchored in an ocean floor anomaly, the floating underwater room tops almost anything. Encapsulated within a turquoise blue bubble, watching shoals of reef fish swim by — sometimes in three or four layers of different species, this is a truly heart-stopping, yet awakening, experience. The floating structure, Swedish engineered, provides three levels, those above the water clad in local hardwood." The rooms are 250 meters offshore and are disconnected from the main resort and guests have to contact staff by cell phone. Meal service is provided by boat delivery but the rooms are not staffed.
2. Trip of a lifetime
For Antoine and Weber it was a dream come true. Antoine wrote that in the early days of the trip. Weber said to her “I’ve seen a few cancer patients on this trip, and it dawned on me that this is a once-in-a-lifetime thing that people want to experience before they die. And here we are in the prime of our lives doing this. We are so blessed.” Weber's sister Mandy Hoffman told CNN "The trip had been planned for almost a year, and they were very much looking forward to it. We knew that he wanted to propose to her and he decided that this was the most wonderful time to do it. (It was) the trip of a lifetime, and (he) really wanted to surprise Kenesha with this proposal."
3. "Will you please be my WIFE?"
In a video posted to Facebook by Antoine, Weber can be seen freediving to the window of the underwater bedroom. He was wearing a mask and flippers but no breathing equipment. As he approached the window, he held up a note sealed in a plastic bag as Anoitne filmed and laughed from the inside. “I can’t hold my breath long enough to tell you everything I love about you BUT…everything I love about you I love more every day!” the note read. “Will you please be my WIFE? Marry Me???” He then produced a ring in a box, which he showed Anoitne before swimming toward the surface.
4. Tragic accidental drowning
It isn't clear what happened after Weber swam out of camera range. Weber's sister says that Antoine went up to the deck to meet Weber as he emerged but she realized something was wrong, according to the Advocate. She wasn't able to reach the hotel for help so she flagged down a passing boat and the people on board helped her pull Weber from the water. "We don't know yet if he was injured on the way up, if he hit his head on something or if he had a heart attack," Hoffman told CNN. "We really don't know all of the details yet, other than he did drown." The family is awaiting autopsy findings.
Anoitine shared video of the proposal.
5. "Yes, yes, a million times yes!"
In the hours after Weber died, Antoine shared her grief with Facebook friends in an emotional post. "There are no words adequate enough to honor the beautiful soul that is Steven Weber, Jr. You were a bright light to everyone you encountered. You never met a stranger, and you brought so much joy to so many people. You were kind, compassionate, you regularly made me cry with laughter, and you showered me with a love like none I’d ever experienced," she wrote. "You never emerged from those depths, so you never got to hear my answer, “Yes! Yes! A million times, yes, I will marry you!!” We never got to embrace and celebrate the beginning of the rest of our lives together, as the best day of our lives turned into the worst, in the cruelest twist of fate imaginable. I will try to take solace in the fact that we enjoyed the most amazing bucket list experiences these past few days, and that we both were so happy and absolutely giddy with excitement in our final moments together."
She went on to write, "I will carry the blessing of the love we shared with me forever. I will find you and marry you in the next lifetime, and the next, and the next, and the next... I love you so much, and I always will. Please pray for all the family and friends that loved him so much. Please love each other while you can, as hard as you can. I know that wherever in the universe Steven’s spirit now resides, that is exactly what he’s doing: giving love and spreading joy and laughter. And knowing him, always quick with an off-color joke, he’s probably entertaining someone with a story about how he royally screwed up that proposal and died while being extra."
Antoine posted an heartfelt tribute to Weber.
6. Fundraiser to bring him home
Weber's sister has started a GoFundMe to raise money to transport Weber's body home to be laid to rest. She says that he didn't have life insurance and the family just wants to bring him back so they can say their final good-byes.
Steven Weber was from Louisiana. He leaves behind many who loved him.
Rebekah Kuschmider has been writing about celebrities, pop culture, entertainment, and politics since 2010. Her work has been seen at Ravishly, Babble, Scary Mommy, The Mid, Redbook online, and The Broad Side. She is the creator of the blog Stay at Home Pundit and she is a cohost of the weekly podcast The More Perfect Union.