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An elderly Carnival cruise passenger died in a tragic accident when she “lost control” of her mobility scooter and plunged over the edge of a pier in the Bahamas on Saturday, authorities said.

The 88-year-old woman plunged into the water just before noon while the Carnival Celebration ship was docked at a port at Celebration Key, the cruise line’s exclusive island in the Bahamas.


  An 88-year-old American woman died at Celebration Key on Saturday. Christopher Sadowski An 88-year-old American woman died at Celebration Key on Saturday. Christopher Sadowski

A spokesperson for Carnival confirmed the passenger’s death in a statement.

“Carnival teams responded, successfully retrieving her from the water. Despite resuscitation efforts, she did not survive,” the cruise line wrote.

“Our thoughts are with her family,” it added.

The Royal Bahamas Police Force separately announced that they are investigating the death of an 88-year-old American woman who “reportedly lost control” of a mobility scooter “and drove off the pier.”

Authorities are probing her death as a suspected drowning, but noted “she is believed to have struck her head against the hull of the vessel before entering the water,” the release said.

Linsy Egersheim, a fellow cruise passenger, witnessed the woman’s fatal fall.


  The woman, a passenger on a Carnival cruise ship, fell off the pier. Christopher Sadowski The woman, a passenger on a Carnival cruise ship, fell off the pier. Christopher Sadowski

  The woman “reportedly lost control” of her mobility scooter. Christopher Sadowski The woman “reportedly lost control” of her mobility scooter. Christopher Sadowski

“It’s vacation, you don’t expect bad things to happen, but definitely getting back on the boat was really sad, I mean, we walked past the scooter and all you could think about is that poor lady,” Egersheim told Miami outlet WSVN.

The Carnival Celebration was at the tail-end of a weeklong round-trip from Florida to several Caribbean islands. It embarked on a new voyage on Sunday, according to CruiseMapper.

The cruise line’s private island is no stranger to tragedy.


  Celebration Key opened in July 2025. Christopher Sadowski Celebration Key opened in July 2025. Christopher Sadowski

In August 2025, two Carnival passengers, a 79-year-old man and a 74-year-old woman, drowned mere hours apart on the island.

The $600 million Caribbean getaway destination had opened less than a month prior.


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