charleston cruise ship death

FBI investigates 'suspicious death' of cruise ship passenger

The FBI is investigating the "suspicious death" of a woman who was on a five -day cruise from South Carolina to the Bahamas, the agency announced .

The 44-year-old woman, who was not identified by name in the announcement, died on a voyage to Nassau, the capital of the Bahamas, the FBI's field office in Columbia, South Carolina, said Sunday.

The cruise left Charleston on Feb. 27, said Matt Lupoli, Carnival Cruise Line's senior manager of public relations. She most likely died early Feb. 28, said Kevin Wheeler, a public affairs specialist for the FBI's Columbia field office.

Medical staff and crew members attempted lifesaving measures, the FBI said.

The woman had been traveling with her husband, Lupoli said. Her husband got off the cruise in Nassau on March 1, and her remains were also removed, he said.

FBI's evidence investigators processed the passenger's room once the ship returned to Charleston as planned on Saturday, the agency said.

The FBI said that the death was an isolated incident and that other passengers faced no threat before or after the woman was found dead.

Nobody is in custody, Wheeler said. He said he could not comment on the circumstances of the woman's death or on any information about her husband or the status of the autopsy.

Lupoli said in a statement that authorities in the Bahamas "have already investigated the circumstances and are conducting an autopsy" and that Carnival is "fully cooperating."

"This is a matter for authorities in The Bahamas and Charleston and we have no further comments," Lupoli said.

Spokespeople for the Royal Bahamas Police Force could not immediately be reached for comment.

FBI investigating 'suspicious' death of Carnival cruise passenger

The Federal Bureau of Investigation's Columbia, South Carolina field office is investigating a "suspicious" death of a Carnival Cruise Line passenger, the office said.

The woman died on the line's Carnival Sunshine ship during a cruise to the Bahamas that departed from Charleston, South Carolina, on Feb. 27.

"Medical staff and other crew members of Carnival's Sunshine were made aware of the passenger being unresponsive and immediately attempted life-saving measures," a spokesperson for the Columbia field office said in an emailed statement. "Despite their efforts, the passenger was pronounced deceased on the ship."

FBI Evidence Response Team members responded to the ship after it returned to Charleston on Saturday to process the guest's room.

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"The FBI investigates certain crimes on the high seas, as well as suspicious deaths of U.S. persons," the statement continued. The guest's death was an isolated incident, and no other passengers were at risk.

The woman's body and her husband were debarked in Nassau, according to Carnival spokesperson Matt Lupoli.

"We are fully cooperating," Lupoli said in an emailed statement on Monday. The investigation is ongoing, the FBI's Columbia field office spokesperson said.

In a separate statement provided by Lupoli, the cruise line said Tuesday that all indications suggest the passenger died "a natural death due to a medical condition."

"We will defer to the FBI on any specific details which may possibly be released at a later date as we fully respect the investigative process, but our initial emergency medical response was appropriate and it appears that this was indeed a medical situation that sadly resulted in the death of a guest," the statement said.

Nathan Diller is a consumer travel reporter for USA TODAY based in Nashville. You can reach him at [email protected].

Watch CBS News

FBI investigating "suspicious" death of a woman on a Carnival cruise ship

By Gina Martinez

Updated on: March 6, 2023 / 7:24 PM EST / CBS News

The FBI is investigating the "suspicious" death of a woman aboard a Carnival cruise ship traveling from Charleston, South Carolina, to Nassau, Bahamas, last month.

On Feb. 27, Carnival's Sunshine crew members and medical staff responded to an unresponsive female passenger, the FBI Columbia field office said in a news release. Despite their best efforts, the woman was pronounced dead on the ship, the release said. 

The incident was isolated and posed no threats to other passengers, according to the FBI.

When the ship returned to Charleston on March 4, FBI officials searched the dead passenger's room for evidence, according to the news release.  

The FBI said it investigates suspicious deaths of U.S. citizens as well as "certain crimes on the high seas." Officials have not disclosed the identity of the passenger or the cause of death and said the incident remains under investigation. 

Carnival said they are "fully cooperating" with the investigation and that the incident is being handled by authorities in the Bahamas and in Charleston. 

"Both the deceased and her husband were debarked in Nassau and Bahamian authorities have already investigated the circumstances and are conducting an autopsy," the cruise line said in a statement to CBS News. 

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FBI investigating 'suspicious death' aboard Carnival Sunshine

by Joseph Erickson

CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCIV) — Investigators with the FBI Columbia field office responded to Charleston on Saturday to investigate the suspicious death of a passenger aboard a cruise ship, a spokesperson with the field office confirmed to ABC News 4 Monday morning.

Officials say the female passenger was found unresponsive on the Carnival Sunshine during its Feb. 27 voyage to Nassau, Bahamas. Medical staff responded and attempted to save the woman, but she was pronounced dead on the ship.

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The cruise ship returned to Charleston on Saturday. Members of the FBI's Evidence Response Team (ERT) responded to process the passenger’s room.

Officials say the passenger's death was an isolated incident and that there was no other threat to any other passengers. As of Monday, no arrests have been made.

A spokesperson for Carnival Cruise Line says the company is cooperating fully with authorities' investigations.

The FBI joined Carnival Sunshine upon its return to Charleston on Saturday to conduct an investigation into the death of a guest. Both the deceased and her husband were debarked in Nassau and Bahamian authorities have already investigated the circumstances and are conducting an autopsy. We are fully cooperating. This is a matter for authorities in The Bahamas and Charleston and we have no further comments.

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FBI investigating woman’s ‘suspicious death’ on Carnival cruise ship

FBI investigating woman’s ‘suspicious death’ on Carnival cruise ship (landbysea/Getty Images)

CHARLESTON, S.C. — The Federal Bureau of Investigations in Columbia, South Carolina, is investigating the death of a woman last week on a Carnival cruise ship that was heading from Charleston, South Carolina to Nassau, Bahamas.

>> Read more trending news

The FBI Columbia field office said on Feb. 27, Carnival’s Sunshine crew members as well as medical staff had responded to an unresponsive woman on board, in a news release obtained by CBS News. She was pronounced dead on the ship.

Carnival Cruise Line spokesperson Matt Lupoli told CNN in a statement that the woman and her husband were “debarked in Nassau and Bahamian authorities have already investigated the circumstances and are conducting an autopsy.” Lupoli said they are also cooperating with both the FBI and authorities in the Bahamas.

Once the ship returned to Charleston, South Carolina on March 4, officials with the FBI searched the couple’s room for evidence, CBS News said.

The FBI said the incident seems to be isolated and there was no threat to others on the cruise, CNN reported.

“The FBI investigates certain crimes on the high seas, as well as suspicious deaths of U.S. persons,” FBI spokesperson Kevin Wheeler said in a statement obtained by WCSC.

The FBI said the incident remains under investigation. The woman’s cause and manner of death have not been released.

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FBI investigates 'suspicious death' on Carnival cruise ship

The Federal Bureau of Investigation said it was investigating a death that was "suspicious" in nature on a cruise ship that traveled from Charleston, S.C. to Nassau, Bahamas.

The death was aboard a Carnival Sunshine cruise ship involving a woman who was traveling with her husband.

The FBI's Columbia field office confirmed in a press release that it investigates "certain crimes on the high seas, as well as suspicious deaths of U.S. persons."

Carnival said the FBI met its Carnival Sunshine ship as it returned to Charleston to assist in the investigation. The deceased female and her husband were taken off the ship in Nassau as authorities in the Bahamas investigated the death.

Bahamian authorities were conducting an autopsy, Carnival confirmed through a spokesperson .

The ship left Charleston on Feb. 27 traveling to Nassau when a woman was found unresponsive on the ship. Medical staff and crew on the ship attempted life-saving measures, but the woman was pronounced dead on the ship, according to the FBI.

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Carnival Cruise Line Says Passenger Died 'Natural Death' on Its Ship After FBI Said It Was 'Suspicious'

The cruise line said the victim died following "a medical situation" on the boat in a new statement released Tuesday

Abigail Adams is a Human Interest Writer and Reporter for PEOPLE. She has been working in journalism for seven years.

The passenger who died on a Carnival Cruise Line ship over the weekend likely died a natural death, according to the company.

In a statement on Tuesday, the cruise line said "all indications" suggest the woman died of a medical condition while on board Carnival Sunshine in The Bahamas, according to NBC and CBS News.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) previously labeled the Feb. 27 death as "suspicious."

"It appears that this was indeed a medical situation that sadly resulted in the death of a guest," Carnival said in Tuesday's statement, per the reports.

The cruise line did not immediately respond to PEOPLE's request for comment.

The victim, who has not been publicly identified, was found unresponsive on Carnival Sunshine last Monday as the ship sailed to Nassau, according to a statement released Sunday by the FBI Columbia field office.

Medical staff and crew members attempted to revive the woman, the FBI said. The victim was later pronounced dead on the ship.

The cruise line previously said the Sunshine returned to Charleston, S.C., on Saturday.

Carnival said it believes the initial response to the emergency medical "was appropriate," per the reports.

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

FBI officials previously said the death posed "no threat to any other passengers" and that the incident was isolated.

An FBI Evidence Response Team processed the passenger's room after the ship returned to the Charleston port on March 4.

"Both the deceased and her husband were debarked in Nassau," a Carnival spokesperson previously told PEOPLE, "and Bahamian authorities have already investigated the circumstances and are conducting an autopsy."

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Fbi investigates woman's death aboard carnival cruise ship once it returned to charleston port.

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The Federal Bureau of Investigation office in Columbia, South Carolina, is investigating the suspicious death of a woman aboard a Carnival cruise ship, according to Public Affairs Specialist Kevin Wheeler.

(Video above: Morning headlines from WYFF News 4)

Wheeler said the woman was on the ship during its Feb. 27 voyage to Nassau, Bahamas.

Medical staff and other crew members of Carnival’s Sunshine were made aware of the passenger being unresponsive and immediately attempted life-saving measures, Wheeler said.

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He said the passenger was pronounced dead on the ship.

"The FBI investigates certain crimes on the high seas, as well as suspicious deaths of U.S. persons," Wheeler said. "As such, FBI Evidence Response Team (ERT) members responded to process the passenger’s room once the ship returned to the Charleston port on March 4."

Wheeler said this incident was isolated, and there was no threat to any other passengers before or after the passenger was found deceased.

FBI Investigating ‘Suspicious Death’ on Carnival Cruise Ship

Doug Parker

• March 6, 2023

The FBI Columbia field office is investigating a suspicious death that happened aboard Carnival Cruise Line’s Carnival Sunshine in Charleston, South Carolina.

The ship was on a five-night cruise to the Bahamas on February 27th when a woman was found unresponsive. Medical staff and crew members attempted life-saving measures, but the passenger was declared dead on the ship.

In a statement, Carnival Cruise Line spokesman Matt Lupoli said “The FBI joined Carnival Sunshine upon its return to Charleston yesterday morning to conduct an investigation into the death of a guest. Both the deceased and her husband were debarked in Nassau and Bahamian authorities have already investigated the circumstances and are conducting an autopsy. We are fully cooperating. This is a matter for authorities in The Bahamas and Charleston and we have no further comments.”

Once the ship arrived back in Charleston on March 4th, an FBI team processed the deceased passenger’s room for evidence.

FBI spokesperson Kevin Wheeler said “The FBI investigates certain crimes on the high seas, as well as suspicious deaths of U.S. persons.” Officials say the incident was isolated and there wasn’t a threat to any other passengers. The investigation into the death is ongoing.

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Passenger shares experience on cruise ship with suspicious death

CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCSC) - As the FBI investigates the death of a woman aboard a cruise ship that ports in Charleston, one passenger shared what she heard the night of the death.

The Carnival Sunshine arrived in Charleston on Saturday after leaving on Feb. 27 for a five-night cruise to the Bahamas.

Crew and staff were made aware of an unresponsive woman during the cruise and attempted life-saving measures, but the woman was pronounced dead on the ship, according to the FBI . It’s not clear exactly when the woman died.

Hannah Hierholzer, a passenger aboard the ship, remembers hearing calls over the ship’s intercom in the middle of the night.

“They called several times over the intercom, ‘Medical Response Team’ to room whatever, and I was like, ‘Oh, that’s weird, maybe that that happens all the time,’ because there’s old people on cruises with a health problem or something,” Hierholzer says. “But after that, like, we heard nothing about this at all.”

Once the ship returned to Charleston on Saturday, members of the FBI Evidence Response Team responded to process the passenger’s room.

Officials said the incident was isolated and there was no threat to the other passengers.

“ It also makes you feel a little uncomfortable that it was that well-hidden,” Hierholzer says. “The whole cruise had no idea that it was even, like, a death in general; like, somebody died on the boat last night, but no.”

A spokesperson for Carnival provided a statement on the incident on Sunday:

The FBI joined Carnival Sunshine upon its return to Charleston yesterday morning to conduct an investigation into the death of a guest. Both the deceased and her husband were debarked in Nassau and Bahamian authorities have already investigated the circumstances and are conducting an autopsy. We are fully cooperating. This is a matter for authorities in The Bahamas and Charleston and we have no further comments.

“It doesn’t change the fact that I would like go on another cruise but I certainly wouldn’t walk around alone anymore on the cruise ships. I’m thinking if there’s somebody who has like a weapon or something on a cruise, you know, it’s one ship. You’re kind of stuck with everybody on there,” Hierholzer says.

The Charleston County Coroner’s Office has not yet released the identity of the victim.

Authorities are continuing to investigate the incident.

Copyright 2023 WCSC. All rights reserved.

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