A Royal Caribbean cruise crew member died after allegedly stabbing a fellow employee multiple times and jumping overboard, according to police.
Newsweek has contacted Royal Caribbean and Royal Bahamas Police Force for comment via email.
Why It Matters
Earlier media reports had said a crew member simply “fell” overboard and was recovered by the cruise ship, the world’s largest.
The incident raises fresh concerns about safety and security protocols on cruise vessels, particularly those with thousands of passengers and crew at sea.
What To Know
The Icon of the Seas was near San Salvador Island Thursday when, at approximately 7:30 p.m. local time, a 35-year-old South African man allegedly attacked a 28-year-old South African woman, stabbing her multiple times, according to Royal Bahamas Police. Both are believed to have been crew members.
The man fled the scene by jumping overboard and was later pulled from the water unresponsive, said police. Medical personnel on the ship pronounced him dead.
Rebecca Blackwell/AP
The woman sustained several stab wounds to her upper body and was airlifted to a Miami hospital.
Police said she was in a stable condition and her injuries are not thought to be life threatening.
Royal Caribbean has not released the names of the crew members involved in the incident or offered any explanation for the motive behind the stabbing.
However, a Royal Caribbean spokesperson told NBC News the incident was “a personal dispute,” but did not provide any further details.
Authorities say the case remains under investigation, and an autopsy is pending.
The Icon of the Seas—said to have a maximum capacity of 7,600 passengers—had left PortMiami on July 19 for a weeklong voyage through the eastern Caribbean, with stops in St. Thomas and Coco Cay, Royal Caribbean’s private island in the Bahamas.
According to the tracking site Cruise Mapper, the ship is expected to return to Miami at 6 a.m. on July 26.
The incident comes just weeks after a father leaped from a Disney cruise ship to rescue his 5-year-old daughter who had fallen overboard while the vessel was sailing between the Bahamas and Fort Lauderdale. Both survived.
What People Are Saying
Royal Caribbean said in a statement to CBS News: “Our crew immediately initiated a search and rescue operation, but unfortunately the crew member passed away. We extend our condolences to the crew member’s family and loved ones. To respect their privacy, we have no additional details to share.”
What Happens Next
An autopsy to determine the man’s exact cause of death is pending, according to police.
