An 88-year-old Carnival Cruise Line guest died after driving a mobility scooter off a pier at Celebration Key, the Florida-based company’s private Bahamas resort.
The incident occurred on May 9, officials with the cruise line told USA Today. The Royal Bahamas Police Force said it happened about noon local time.
In a statement, Carnival officials said that the woman using the scooter fell into the water when the Carnival Celebration was in port.
“Carnival teams responded, successfully retrieving her from the water,” officials said in an emailed statement to media outlets. “Despite resuscitation efforts, she did not survive.”
Carnival did not release any details about what led to the incident.
One passenger told WSVN that he believed the woman suffered a heart attack.
“She had a heart attack, went off with the scooter, and banged her head pretty bad,” Edward Egersheim told the television station. “And then her husband tried to do what he could, and he ended up hurting himself as well.”
According to the The Nassau Guardian, police said the woman apparently struck her head against the hull of the vessel.
The woman was taken to the ship’s medical facility for treatment and was pronounced dead on the vessel, Fox News reported.
“It’s vacation, you don’t expect bad things to happen, but definitely getting back on the boat was really sad,” another passenger, Linsy Egersheim, told WSVN. “I mean, we walked past the scooter and all you could think about is that poor lady.”
The victim has not been identified, People reported. A cause of death has yet to be determined, according to the magazine.
The May 9 incident was the third fatality at Celebration Key, according to the news outlet.
Celebration Key, a Grand Bahama resort, opened on July 19, 2025, according to Fox News.
In separate incidents last year, a 79-year-old man and a 74-year-old woman drowned at Celebration Key, Fox News reported.
The private destination cost $600 million to build. The resort has lagoons, beach areas and multiple swimming zones, Carnival said.
The 68-acre resort also has a 10-story sandcastle with a water slide and a swim-up bar.
Carnival’s website describes the resort as “Your Key to Paradise.”