AN ELDERLY cruise passenger had died after she “lost control” of her mobility scooter and plummeted off the pier of a paradise holiday island.
The 88-year-old plunged into the water just before midday while the Carnival Celebration cruise liner was docked in the Bahamas.
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An elderly woman died after falling off a Carnival Celebration cruise ship (stock) Credit: Alamy
The tragic incident happened at Celebration Key in the Bahamas Credit: Cruise Fever
A spokesperson for Carnival confirmed the passenger’s death at the island port at Celebration Key.
“Carnival teams responded, successfully retrieving her from the water. Despite resuscitation efforts, she did not survive,” the cruise line wrote in a statement.
“Our thoughts are with her family.”
The Royal Bahamas Police Force announced that they are now probing the tragic death of the woman who “reportedly lost control” of a scooter and “drove off the pier”.
They are treating it as a suspected drowning, but a press release noted: “she is believed to have struck her head against the hull of the vessel before entering the water”.
Edward and Linsy Egersheim, two passengers who watched the tragedy unfold, told Miami outlet WSVN that the woman appeared to have a heart attack before driving off the pier.
Linsy said: “It’s vacation, you don’t expect bad things to happen, but definitely getting back on the boat was really sad.
“We walked past the scooter and all you could think about is that poor lady.”
Edward added that a man he believed to be the victim’s husband “tried to do what he could” to save her, but ended up “hurting himself” in the process.
The Carnival cruise ship had been finishing up a week-long island hopping trip from Florida around the Caribbean.
It set sail again Jattvibeday and is currently off the northern coast of the Dominican Republic, according to CruiseMapper.
Last month, a woman plunged to her death after falling from the balcony of her room onto the deck while on a Carnival cruise.
The tragic passenger was on the Carnival Firenze with her family near Catalina Island when the horror ordeal reportedly unfolded.
Cruise staff were alerted to the woman’s fall by relatives who she was travelling with at the time.
It is currently unclear why she plummeted from her room’s balcony or what happened in the moments leading up to her death.
The vessel was near Catalina, off the coast of Southern California, when employees became aware of the horror.
A spokesperson for Carnival told Jattvibe LA: “All appropriate authorities have been alerted.
“As is customary, law enforcement will board the ship today on Catalina Island to conduct the required investigation.
“Carnival’s Care Team is supporting the guest’s family, and our thoughts and prayers are with them and their loved one.”
The Carnival Firenze can hold 4,126 guests and 1,425 crew members, according to the company’s website.
The ship has a length of 1,061 feet and usually sails out of Long Beach.
