Icon of the Seas Crewmember Stabs Female Worker and Dies Jumping Overboard

 

The Royal Bahamas Police Force provided additional details about an incident between two crewmembers on Royal Caribbean International’s cruise ship Icon of the Seas. The report clarified the widely covered media report of a crewmember “falling” overboard and being recovered by the cruise ship. 

Initial, erroneous media reports said a crewmember had “fallen” from the massive cruise ship, Icon of the Seas (248,663-gross ton cruise ship) while the ship was cruising off San Salvador in the Bahamas on Thursday, July 24. (People do not “fall” off cruise ships unless they are doing something risky and/or are extremely intoxicated, as the vessels have high rails and other precautions.) 

According to the statement from the Bahamas police, shortly before 7:30 p.m. local time, a 28-year-old female South African crewmember was allegedly stabbed multiple times by a 35-year-old male South African crewmember. Following the incident, the police were told the man had fled from the scene and jumped overboard. 

Passengers reported that crewmembers seeing the man jump threw life preservers to mark the spot. As the world’s largest cruise ship, Icon of the Seas required time to slow and turn, even though it was likely moving at a relatively low speed after a day at sea approaching the company’s private island, Coco Cay, for the Friday port stop.

The crew launched one of the vessel’s go-fast rescue boats and was able to locate the male crewmember. According to the captain’s announcement, the male was “recovered.” Later reports said he was unconscious when they found him and pronounced him deceased when they got back to the cruise ship.

The female had been stabbed multiple times in her upper body. The Royal Bahamas Police Force reports she was treated. They said she is in stable condition. The police report that an autopsy has been scheduled to determine the cause and any contributing factors for the male crewmember’s death.

Royal Caribbean International confirmed in a statement to the Florida media that there had been an incident “involving two crew members in a personal dispute,” and that its onboard security team had responded. Crewmembers work and live aboard these ships in notoriously small cabins and tight quarters. The Icon of the Seas has approximately 2,350 crewmembers onboard. When full, it can also be carrying approximately 7,600 passengers.