Woman dies after going overboard on MSC cruise ship near Port Canaveral

PORT CANAVERAL, Fla. — The U.S. Coast Guard said a woman has died Thursday after she went overboard on a cruise ship bound for Port Canaveral

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The body of a 36-year-old woman was found after she went overboard from MSC’s Meraviglia cruise ship.

The woman’s body was found 18 miles off of the coast of Cocoa Beach. The circumstances surrounding her death remain under investigation.

The ship was scheduled to return to Port Canaveral from a voyage to the Bahamas on Thursday morning but was stopped around 20 miles off the coast of Cocoa Beach during the search.

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Emergency notifications were made over the ship’s loudspeaker, and it was halted in the water.

A Channel 9 photographer was on the ship and heard the alert that the search had begun.

Passengers and crews gathered on the deck of the ship soon after the alert was issued.

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MSC Cruises provided Channel 9 with the following statement about the death:

“Early this morning, MSC Meraviglia’s advanced detection systems alerted our crew to a passenger overboard while the ship was sailing to Port Canaveral. The crew performed an immediate search and rescue operation, alongside the US Coast Guard who supported search efforts with boats and a helicopter.

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Unfortunately, despite the rapid rescue operation, the passenger sustained fatal injuries. We are offering our full support to authorities as they investigate this matter.

We are deeply saddened by this incident and offer our sincerest condolences to the family and those affected.”

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Video: Woman dies after going overboard on cruise ship near Port Canaveral, Coast Guard says The U.S. Coast Guard said a woman has died after she went overboard on a cruise ship bound for Port Canaveral. (James Tutten, WFTV.com/WFTV)

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