A guest aboard a Norwegian Cruise Line trip died after losing consciousness while snorkeling in ocean waters at the cruise line's private destination in the Bahamas, the company confirmed.
Norwegian Cruise Line said in a statement provided to NTD News that its medical team and local emergency responders rushed to assist the guest after the person became unresponsive in the water. Despite their efforts, the guest could not be revived.
"We are saddened by the passing of one of our guests who became unresponsive while snorkeling in the ocean," a Norwegian Cruise Line spokesperson said. "Our medical team and local emergency responders provided immediate assistance. Unfortunately, the guest was unable to be revived. We extend our heartfelt condolences to the family during this difficult time."
The man’s son told police around 2 p.m. that he and his father had been snorkeling when he noticed he had stopped, and he found his father in the water without a mask and unresponsive. He was taken to Bullocks Harbour and will be taken to New Providence where an autopsy will be conducted.
The cruise line did not release the guest's name or nationality. Additional details surrounding the circumstances of the death were not immediately available.
The drowning incident follows other recent safety concerns that have emerged in the Caribbean and Pacific waters. Just days earlier, Bahamian authorities launched a search for two men who vanished while swimming near Highbourne Cay in the Exuma chain of islands.
According to the Royal Bahamas Police Force, a captain aboard a 40-foot smack boat anchored in the south channel of Highbourne Cay at around 3 p.m. on Sunday, May 3, with seven people on board. Four of those aboard went diving, while two others entered the water to swim near the cay and the surrounding shallows. A person remaining aboard the boat later watched as the two swimmers drifted southeast into the open ocean.
The captain quickly pulled the anchor and attempted to intercept the men, but lost visual contact before reaching them. A distress call was broadcast over VHF radio, and the crew conducted a hours-long search of the area, before calling off the effort without finding the men. Police are asking anyone with information to contact 911, 919, a local police station, the Criminal Investigation Department, or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 328-TIPS (8477).