Elizabeth McElmurray, Princes Cruise passenger on board the Sky Princess falls to her death trying to jump overboard only to hit lower deck.
A cruise line passenger who fell to her death while trying to jump overboard only to crash onto the lower deck of a Princess Cruise ship over the weekend has been identified as 48 year old US woman, Elizabeth McElmurray.
The traveler died after attempting to dive overboard the Sky Princess cruise ship as it returned to Florida from the Caribbean on December 21.
While the circumstances surrounding the female passenger’s death remain unclear, Princess Cruises in a release said McElmurray fell while trying to ‘jump’ into the water, inadvertently landing on one of the cruise ship decks below.
Why did Princess Cruise passenger jump?
McElmurray’s death comes less than a week after she had shared a photograph of herself smiling alongside her mother as they boarded the ship in Fort Lauderdale on December 15.
They were setting sail to scatter the ashes of her mother’s husband on his favorite beach in Jamaica.
‘I never expected to lose my daughter. I want to also publicly thank the crew for their kindness and compassion during this ordeal,’ her devastated mother said in an online tribute.
McElmurray’s younger brother paid tribute in another post.
‘She was an amazing woman that loved her family,’ he said.
‘Her nurturing nature for animals was a wonderful quality we shared together I want to thank everyone who tried to help her and everyone’s kind words.’
McElmurray according to her social media profiles was a manager at retailer Circle K. She was born in Nashua, New Hampshire, and lived in Wakefield, Massachusetts.
Passenger could not be saved
According to the ship’s captain, she had tried to jump into the water from one of the top decks, only to hit a lifeboat deck around 10 floors below. Police were seen combing the cruise ship later that day according to Cruise Radio.
‘Princess Cruises is deeply saddened to confirm the passing of a 48-year-old female guest who attempted to jump overboard earlier today,’ Princess Cruise said in a statement to the outlet.
‘The guest fell to a lower deck, where she was promptly rescued. Shipboard personnel immediately provided emergency medical care, but despite their best efforts, she could not be revived,’ the statement added.
‘Our heartfelt condolences go out to the guest’s family and friends during this profoundly difficult time. Grief support services are being offered to guests and crew members affected by this event.
‘Princess Cruises is cooperating fully with local and federal authorities as they investigate the circumstances surrounding the incident.
‘Sky Princess remains on course to arrive in Fort Lauderdale from Cozumel as scheduled tomorrow, Sunday, December 22, following a 7-day round-trip Western Caribbean voyage that began on December 15. The ship is scheduled to depart on its next Eastern Caribbean sailing later tomorrow.’
@yalla_cruise 🚨Urgent announcement on Sky Princess Cruise! A lady jumped and did not survive 😔 #SkyPrincess #Cruise #PrincessCruise #Travel #cruisenews #traveling #Cruising ♬ original sound – Yalla Cruise
18 man overboard incidents on cruise ships in 2024
One woman shared a video to TikTok of the captain’s announcement about the passenger’s death.
‘We understand that this event may be distressing for many of you,’ the captain said, before alerting passengers that grief counseling services would be made available to them.
Others also shared their experiences on the Princess Cruise’s Reddit page.
‘My mom and cousin watched the whole thing. They were directly below us two floors down. Nobody ever came to question them. They are very traumatized by it,’ one user wrote.
‘They said she hit everything on the way down and it was extremely disturbing. Someone held her by her arm for a couple seconds before she fell.’
The ship had been making its way back to Fort Lauderdale, Florida from an eight-day voyage to Cozumel, Mexico; Ocho Rios, Jamaica; George Town, Grand Cayman; and the cruise line’s private Bahamian resort, Princess Cays, at the time.
There have been 18 man overboard incidents on cruise ships in 2024, including McElmurray, according to Cruise Radio.
‘These tragic events, which occurred on various cruise lines and locations worldwide, involved both passengers and crew members, with outcomes ranging from miraculous rescues to heartbreaking losses,’ the outlet stated.
It remained unclear what led to McElmurray attempting to jump into the water.
An investigation into the incident is ongoing.
