An 82-year-old cruise passenger died in St. Maarten last Thursday after falling into the water from her electric wheelchair while on the pier.
According to the Police Force of Sint Maarten (KPSM), the incident occurred around 5:00pm and was believed to be caused by a wheelchair malfunction. Though emergency responders tried to resuscitate the elderly woman, she was pronounced dead at the scene.
"Preliminary investigations suggest that a malfunction in the victim’s electric wheelchair, an 82-year-old female, may have contributed to her fall into the water. Despite the best efforts of medical personnel to administer emergency resuscitation, the victim sadly succumbed at the scene," reads a statement issued by KPSM.
The now-deceased passenger's identity hasn't been released, and it's not clear what ship she was sailing on. Moreover, KPSM didn't disclose the injuries sustained during the fall or whether the guest had pre-existing health conditions.
Last Thursday, six ships were docked in St. Maarten, including Royal Caribbean's Symphony of the Seas, Celebrity's Ascent, Cunard's Queen Mary 2, P&O Cruises' Arvia, AIDA Cruises’ AIDAmar, and Emerald Cruises' Emerald Azzurra.
Some reports suggest she was traveling aboard AIDAmar, although that hasn't been confirmed. AIDA Cruises is a German cruise line part of Carnival Corporation & plc. They operate a fleet of 14 ships, with AIDA's largest vessels being AIDAnova and AIDAcosma.
Read more: Simple tips to safely take a cruise ship vacation
Tragic holiday season for the cruising industry
A 51-year-old man went overboard while sailing on the Norwegian Epic on Thursday, Dec. 26. The 155,873 gross registered ton ship was en route to the Bahamas from Ocho Rios, Jamaica. According to Norwegian Cruise Line, the passenger went overboard around 3:00pm.
"The guest was traveling with a large group and his family on board is being attended to and supported during this very challenging situation," a spokesperson for Norwegian said in a statement to USA TODAY. "Our thoughts and prayers are with his loved ones during this difficult time.”
A nearby cruise ship, Holland America Line's Zuiderdam, helped search for the overboard passenger, but the search was unsuccessful.
A few days before the Christmas holiday, a woman passed away after attempting to jump overboard from Princess Cruises' Sky Princess.
The incident was confirmed by Princess Cruises who issued the following statement to Cruise Radio: "Princess Cruises is deeply saddened to confirm the passing of a 48-year-old American female guest who attempted to jump overboard earlier today aboard Sky Princess. The guest fell to a lower deck, where she was promptly rescued. Shipboard personnel immediately provided emergency medical care, but despite their best efforts, she could not be revived."
Sky Princess was on a 7-night voyage calling at Cozumel, Mexico; Ocho Rios, Jamaica; George Town, Grand Cayman; and Princess Cays.
Read more: Woman dies trying to jump off cruise ship
Another Princess ship suffered an untimely loss in December. A guest aboard Ruby Princess was presumed to have gone onboard and was reported missing as the vessel pulled into San Francisco after a 5-night cruise to Ensenada, Mexico.
According to a statement by Princess Cruises, officials searched the ship and sourced security videos. However, the passenger, who was traveling alone, was not located.
The U.S. Coast Guard initiated aerial searches that afternoon but called off the efforts around 5:30pm.
Elizabeth Wright
Elizabeth graduated from New York University's Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute with her M.A. in Journalism in May 2023. Growing up, she had the privilege of traveling frequently with her family and fell in love with cruising after sailing on the Oasis of the Seas her freshman year of high school. She wanted to pursue a career that highlighted her passion for travel and strengths as a writer.
