Carnival Cruise passenger is killed after freak accident with her mobility scooter on luxury Caribbean island

By LAURA PARNABY, US SENIOR NEWS REPORTER Published: 19:20, 12 May 2026 | Updated: 19:29, 12 May 2026 An American Carnival Cruise passenger has died in a horror accident after she lost control of her mobility scooter and drove off the edge of a pier in the Bahamas.  The unnamed 88-year-old plunged into the ocean beside the newly opened private resort of Celebration Key around noon on Saturday, according to officials.  Carnival Cruise said the ship she had been traveling on was docked nearby at the time, and staff members rushed to the passenger's aid but could not save her.  'Carnival teams responded, successfully retrieving her from the water,' the Florida-based operator said in a statement.  'Despite resuscitation efforts, she did not survive.'  Royal Bahamas Police Force said 'initial investigations' indicated the woman struck her head against the hull of the Carnival Celebration ship before falling into the sea.   Passenger Edward Egersheim said he believes she suffered a heart attack moments before the fall, and that her husband also scrambled to save her.  'She had a heart attack, went off with the scooter, and banged her head pretty bad,' he told Fox and ABC affiliate WSVN.  A Carnival Cruise passenger has died in an accident when she drove her mobility scooter off a pier in the Bahamas. She was traveling on board the Carnival Celebration ship (pictured) The unnamed 88-year-old plunged into the ocean off Celebration Key around noon on Saturday, according to police. Celebration Key is the newly-opened private resort pictured  'And then her husband tried to do what he could, and he ended up hurting himself as well.'  'It's vacation, you don't expect bad things to happen, but definitely getting back on the boat was really sad,' said another passenger, Linsy Egersheim.  'I mean, we walked past the scooter and all you could think about is that poor lady.'  The woman who died has not been identified, and an official cause of death is yet to be determined.  Celebration Key, where the freak accident unfolded, is a Grand Bahama luxury resort which opened on July 19, 2025.  The 68-acre private destination, which cost $600million to build, has already been blighted by three unnatural deaths.  The latest incident followed the separate drownings of a 79-year-old man and a 74-year-old woman last year, according to Fox News.  Celebration Key is home to stunning blue lagoons, a 10-story sandcastle attraction with a water slide and swim-up bar, and several beaches. The sandcastle attraction is pictured above  Celebration Key is home to stunning blue lagoons. The private resort opened in July 2025 Celebration Key is home to stunning blue lagoons, a 10-story sandcastle attraction with a water slide and swim-up bar, and several beaches.  It is described on the Carnival Cruise website as 'your key to paradise'.  Carnival Celebration, the ship involved in the latest death, is one of the largest vessels in the Carnival Cruise Line fleet.  The 20-deck boat can hold 6,500 guests and about 1,700 crew members. It boasts a huge rollercoaster called Bolt in the 'Ultimate Playground' zone on the top deck.  Carnival Celebration sets sail from Miami, Florida and offers six-to-eight day cruises to various parts of the Caribbean.   No comments have so far been submitted. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline. To do this we will link your MailOnline account with your Facebook account. We’ll ask you to confirm this for your first post to Facebook. You can choose on each post whether you would like it to be posted to Facebook. Your details from Facebook will be used to provide you with tailored content, marketing and ads in line with our Privacy Policy.