MEAWW.COM / NEWS / CRIME & JUSTICE

Angry cruise ship passengers stopped from disembarking break into brawl after woman, 36, fatally falls overboard

The woman, 36, fell into the water from the MSC Meraviglia's port side at around 5 am on Thursday, December 15, 18 miles off the coast of Florida

PORT CANAVERAL, FLORIDA: In a terrible incident, a major clash sparked on a cruise ship after the US Coast Guard discovered a woman's body that had fallen overboard. Video of passengers fighting when they were not allowed to leave the ship when it returned to port was obtained by DailyMail. The 36-year-old woman fell into the water from the MSC Meraviglia's port side at around 5 am on Thursday, December 15, 18 miles off the coast of Florida.

When the ship returned from Ocean Cay in the Bahamas, it was scheduled to dock in Port Canaveral in Florida. A 45-foot vessel and a helicopter were used in the coast guard's search and rescue effort. Around 7.30 am, a pilot boat discovered the woman's body and informed the Coast Guard, Daily Mail reports. According to investigators, it is unclear how the woman managed to tumble overboard. 

READ MORE

Austin Wells: Man buys $300K apartment on luxury cruise ship, plans to travel world while continuing to work

James Grimes: Cruise passenger reveals how he survived 20 HOURS in shark-infested waters after falling off ship

The woman's body was discovered close to the ship in the back of a pickup truck during the turmoil, according to witnesses who were on the vacation. US Customs and Border Protection detained many travelers for their role in the brawl. Crew members were compelled to disperse the fight. 

Italian cruise line MSC Cruises operates the MSC Meraviglia, which has a capacity of over 4,500 passengers and 1,600 staff members. Early in the morning, a notification alerting everyone that someone had fallen overboard startled the passengers. Speaking to Daily Mail, Marisa Aebi said, "The first alert was a female voice ''attention! Man overboard, port side." "And that was around 5am I think she repeated this twice? Then a few mins later, they blared the emergency horn - the three blasts. I had a balcony so I went out and it's obviously super dark, they already had spotlights out and they were turning the ship around very fast." Aebi added, "Coast Guard and other barges showed up to help. We were all told to go to and stay in our rooms as they did a head count. She was found about 2 hours later. Several fights broke out during the disembark over how long it was taking to get off. They didn't let us off until like 12-12.30." Aebi continued, "Yes it was crazy, definitely not something I ever thought I'd experience for sure. People were arrested during disembark for the fights," as cited by Daily Mail.

A statement reads, "The crew performed an immediate search and rescue operation, alongside the US Coast Guard who supported search efforts with boats and a helicopter." It added, "Unfortunately, despite the rapid rescue operation, the passenger sustained fatal injuries. We are offering our full support to authorities as they investigate this matter." They have stated that the woman's identity won't be made public until her family is informed. The US Coast Guard returned the body to port and met with the Brevard County Sheriff's Office, which will take up the investigation.

The Coast Guard confirmed the recovery of the woman's body in a tweet. They wrote, "A 36-year-old woman's body was recovered from the water approximately 18 miles offshore #PortCanaveral Thursday morning after she went overboard the cruise ship Meraviglia. The cause of the incident is under investigation."

In a statement earlier today, MSC Cruises claimed that the ship's "advanced detection systems" had alerted crew members that a guest had gone overboard. “Unfortunately, despite the rapid rescue operation, the passenger sustained fatal injuries.”