A Royal Caribbean crew member who died after going overboard off the coast of the Bahamas on Thursday night is alleged to have stabbed his co-worker before jumping into the sea.
The 35-year-old South African man—who has not been named publicly—stabbed his 28-year-old female South African co-worker multiple times on board the Icon of the Seas near the Bahamian island of San Salvador, according to police.
Shocked passengers reported hearing the “Oscar” alarm code sound over the ship’s emergency address system at roughly 7 p.m., indicating someone had gone overboard.
The nearly 250,0000-ton cruise ship slowed, changed course, and deployed rescue vessels. The man was recovered unresponsive and later pronounced dead by medical staff on board.
In a statement, the cruise line described the incident as a “personal dispute.”
“One of the crew members was injured, was attended to by the onboard medical team, and she is now in stable condition,” a Royal Caribbean spokesperson said.
“Unfortunately, the other crew member is deceased after he went overboard and was recovered in a search and rescue operation.”
A Royal Bahamas Police Force Public Affairs and Communications Officer told TMZ that the unnamed man intended to take his own life following the incident.
The Icon of the Seas is the largest cruise vessel in the world. She is currently sailing a 7-night Eastern Caribbean itinerary and is scheduled to dock in Miami on Saturday.
An autopsy will be carried out to determine the 35-year-old’s precise cause of death. The alleged assault remains under investigation.
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