A dream vacation turned into a devastating tragedy after a woman reportedly fell to her death while aboard a cruise ship off the California coast.
The incident happened on the Carnival Firenze as it sailed near Santa Catalina Island. According to reports, the woman allegedly fell from the balcony of her room, plunging onto a lower deck.
Family members traveling with her were the ones who alerted crew members to the horrifying situation, NBC Los Angeles reported.
At this point, many questions remain unanswered. It’s still unclear what caused the fall or what exactly happened in the moments leading up to it.
Carnival confirmed that authorities were immediately notified.
“All appropriate authorities have been alerted,” a spokesperson said, adding that law enforcement was expected to board the ship while it was near Catalina Island to carry out a full investigation.
The cruise line also said its Care Team is now supporting the victim’s family during the heartbreaking ordeal.
The woman’s identity has not yet been released.
The Carnival Firenze, which sails out of Long Beach, is a massive vessel capable of carrying more than 4,000 passengers and over 1,400 crew members. Stretching more than 1,000 feet long, it’s one of the larger ships in the fleet.
The tragedy comes amid another alarming cruise-related incident in the U.S. just one day earlier.
A crew member aboard the Norwegian Breakaway went overboard off the coast of Cape Cod, triggering a large-scale search and rescue effort. Surveillance footage reportedly captured the moment the employee fell into the icy Atlantic waters roughly 12 miles offshore.