FBI investigating suspicious death of passenger onboard Carnival cruise ship

The FBI is investigating the suspicious death of a female passenger onboard the Carnival Sunshine cruise ship, the agency announced.

The passenger was found unresponsive during the ship’s 27 February cruise to Nassau, Bahamas, according to the FBI field office in Columbia, South Carolina.

Despite medical staff and crew members performing life-saving measures, the woman was pronounced dead on board the ship.

Both the deceased passenger and her husband were taken off the ship in the Bahamas, where an autopsy will take place.

“Both the deceased and her husband were debarked in Nassau and Bahamian authorities have already investigated the circumstances and are conducting an autopsy,” Carnival Cruise Line spokesperson Matt Lupoli told CNN.

“We are fully cooperating. This is a matter for authorities in the Bahamas and Charleston and we have no further comments.”

Members of the FBI Evidence Response Team conducted a search of the passenger’s room when the ship returned to its home port of Charleston, South Carolina, on 4 March.

The FBI investigates suspicious deaths of US nationals as well as “certain crimes on the high seas.” The death remains under investigation.