Carnival Cruise passenger travelling to Bahamas falls to her death from ship's cabin balcony

A woman sailing on a Carnival Cruise Line ship from Florida fell from her cabin's balcony and died on Friday, 19 January.

The woman, who has not been identified yet, plunged "several decks below", Carnival Cruise Line spokesman Vance Gulliksen told the Miami Herald.

The cruise had departed from Jacksonville on Thursday, 18 January, and was on a four-day trip to the Bahamas, with the incident taking place when the ship was near Freeport, Bahamas.

It wasn't immediately clear from which level the woman fell, but according to eyewitness Megan Burdewick, "There was blood everywhere."

Burdewick – who was on the cruise with her husband Matthew – reportedly sent a text to her mother, according to the Miami Herald, saying, "We weren't [allowed] off the boat to Freeport until they investigated it. They were taking pictures [and everything]."

Gulliksen said in a statement, "The ship's medical team responded immediately but, unfortunately, she passed away. Our thoughts and prayers are with the deceased and her family."

He also added that after the incident took place, the Bahamian law enforcement, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the US Coast Guard and the Jacksonville Sheriff's Department were all notified, and the company is "assisting these agencies as the investigation continues".

According to Gulliksen, the balconies on the ship meet the Cruise Vessel Security and Safety Act standards.

Friday's incident is the second death aboard a Carnival Cruise Lines ship in recent months. In October, eight-year-old Zion Smith fell from a deck aboard a Carnival ship docked in Miami and died. Zion was travelling with her brother, mother and her mother's boyfriend.

Earlier, in February, Kevin Wellons, from Georgia, fell from the 11th deck of the Carnival Elation while the ship was near the Bahamas.