The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is
looking into the death of a passenger who sailed aboard the Carnival Horizon
after the ship returned to Miami
this weekend.
The agency’s
Miami field office confirmed it has opened an investigation, and Carnival
Cruise Line says it is fully cooperating, though few official details have
been released so far.
The FBI told the Associated
Press that its Miami office responded to the scene when the ship docked in Florida
on Nov. 8, but declined to share additional information regarding the passenger’s
identity or their cause of death.
Carnival Cruise
Line spokesperson Chris Chiames told Newsweek,
"Carnival Cruise Line confirmed that it is working with the Miami office
of the FBI in the investigation of the death of a guest traveling on Carnival
Horizon.”
He added, “Since
this is an ongoing matter under the jurisdiction of law enforcement, all media
inquiries need to be directed to the FBI’s Miami public affairs office. Our
focus is on supporting the family of our guest and cooperating with the
FBI."
The Carnival
Horizon, which carries 3,960 guests and operates regular Caribbean
itineraries, completed its sailing as scheduled and disembarked passengers in
Miami on Saturday morning.
While deaths at
sea inevitably garner attention, they are not unheard of in the cruise
industry. Tens of millions of travelers board cruise ships every year, and the
vast majority of voyages end without serious incidents.
Newsweek noted that
most onboard fatalities result from natural causes, such as heart attacks or other
medical emergencies, although accidents, suicides and rare incidents of
violence can also contribute to their number.
Earlier this
year, a separate death aboard the Carnival Dream also led to an FBI probe. At
the time, Carnival emphasized that such investigations are standard procedure for
all deaths at sea and do not necessarily suggest suspicious circumstances.
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