Carnival cruise passenger jumped to her death near Catalina Island after arguing with family

A woman who plunged from the balcony of a Carnival cruise ship near Catalina Island had been arguing with her family just moments before jumping to her death, according to a source familiar with the case.

The FBI is still investigating the shocking incident, which happened early Monday morning aboard the Carnival Firenze ship.

The source told The California Post that the unidentified woman jumped from her stateroom balcony and plummeted to the deck below.

Carnival spokeswoman Julie Leonardi confirmed the passenger’s death, adding that the victim was traveling with family who alerted the ship’s crew of the horrific episode.

“As is customary following these kinds of incidents, law enforcement was on board while the ship was in Catalina Island on Monday to collect information,” Leonard said.

Kelly Duhs, a private investigator from Ventura, Calif., who was aboard the Firenze at the time, said members of the ship’s staff told her the victim had quarreled with her family before jumping. balcony.

“It’s horrible,” she told The Post.  

A law enforcement source said the woman’s body was transported from the ship Monday and her family left the same day.

Later that day, FBI agents appeared on the ship to investigate the matter.  

“The FBI responded to the ship when it docked in Catalina Island on Monday and is investigating an incident on board which resulted in death,” FBI spokeswoman Lourdes Arocho told The Post.

“More specific details are not being provided at this time as the investigation is ongoing,” Arocho added.

The FBI has special maritime jurisdiction on cruise ships, similar to what the federal agency enjoys on airplanes. The bureau investigates “serious crimes” at sea and “also looks into suspicious deaths,” according to the agency’s website.

The Carnival Firenze sailed out of Long Beach on Sunday.

The ship holds up to 4,126 guests and 1,425 crew members, according to Carnival’s website. It has a length of 1,061 feet.

The fatal jump marked the second deadly cruise ship incident in the US in as many days.

A crew member fell overboard a Norwegian Cruise Line ship Sunday off the Massachusetts coast, setting off a massive search and rescue operation.

Surveillance video caught the unidentified employee falling from the side of the Norwegian Breakaway into frigid seas about 12 miles off Cape Cod.

The US Coast Guard launched an aggressive search effort but suspended operations on Monday after covering a significant area, treating the incident as a death.