A South African man working on Royal Caribbean’s Icon of the Seas cruise ship died in The Bahamas when he jumped off the boat, allegedly after stabbing another crew member.
The Royal Bahamas Police Force said that around 7:30 p.m. Thursday, July 24, the man, 35, was in a dispute with another crew member, a 28-year-old woman and fellow South African national. Police alleged that the man stabbed her repeatedly before fleeing the scene of the fight and jumping into the water.
Police did not name either of the two crew members involved or say how the dispute began. The woman received treatment for stab wounds to her upper body and was in stable condition as of Friday, police said.
Responders retrieved the unresponsive man from the waters off San Salvador Island. Medical staff onboard Icon of the Seas subsequently pronounced him dead.
Bahamian police said that an autopsy will be performed to determine the man’s exact cause of death and that an investigation into the incident is ongoing.
In a statement to USA Today, Royal Caribbean said, “Our onboard security team responded to an incident involving two crew members in a personal dispute.”
The cruise line told cruising news site Cruise Hive that “we extend our condolences to the crew member’s family and loved ones. To respect their privacy, we have no additional details to share.”
The Icon of the Seas is scheduled to dock in Miami on Saturday, according to the New York Post.
