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Carnival cruise ship passenger dies after falling from balcony – FBI investigates high-seas horror
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A passenger aboard a Carnival Cruise Line ship died Monday morning after apparently falling from the balcony of her room while the vessel was sailing near Catalina Island.
The incident occurred on the Carnival Firenze, which was off the Southern California coast when the female guest went over the balcony of her stateroom and landed on a lower deck, the cruise line confirmed to Fox News Digital.
She was traveling with family members, who alerted the ship’s crew, according to Carnival.
“As is customary following these kinds of incidents, law enforcement was on board while the ship was in Catalina Island on Monday to collect information,” the company said in a statement, adding that all appropriate authorities had been notified.
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The family has since left the ship and returned home, according to Carnival.
“Carnival’s Care Team is supporting the guest’s family, and our thoughts and prayers are with them and their loved ones,” the company added.
The FBI confirmed to Fox News Digital that it is looking into the death.
“The FBI responded to the ship and is currently investigating the reported death,” the bureau’s Los Angeles field office said.
It remains unclear what caused the passenger to go over the balcony. Her identity has not been released.
The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department told Fox News Digital that its Search and Rescue team from the Avalon Sheriff’s Station helped in recovering the passenger who died. The department directed further questions to the FBI.
It is the latest incident in a recent string of cruise tragedies.
Just last week, two separate emergencies turned deadly during a single voyage on the Carnival Splendor, with authorities indicating the incidents were unrelated.
In that case, a 67-year-old woman died while snorkeling off Australia’s Moreton Island during a shore excursion after she was found unresponsive in the water. Hours later, a separate passenger in his 70s reportedly climbed over the ship’s safety railing and went overboard, prompting an intensive search that was later suspended.
In a separate incident, two Carnival passengers also died in drowning cases at the company’s private Bahamas resort.
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Fox News Digital’s Louis Casiano and Julia Bonavita contributed to this report.