Elizabeth McElmurray, a 48-year-old woman from the United States, tragically lost her life onboard the Sky Princess, a Princess Cruises vessel, on December 21, 2024. The incident took place as the ship was making its way back to Florida after an eight-day Caribbean cruise. McElmurray attempted, but failed, to jump overboard, instead falling onto a lower deck of the ship.
According to a spokesperson from Princess Cruises, immediate emergency medical attention was provided by the ship’s staff, but McElmurray unfortunately did not survive.
The Sky Princess, which has been operational since 2019 and can accommodate over 3,600 passengers, began its eight-day Caribbean journey on December 15. The cruise included visits to various locations such as Cozumel in Mexico, Ocho Rios in Jamaica, and the Grand Cayman Islands.
The ship’s crew informed passengers about the unfortunate incident via overhead speakers, while they were in their cabins. Princess Cruises has made counseling services available to assist affected passengers and crew members onboard the ship.
A relative of McElmurray expressed appreciation for the support they have received, acknowledging “the online community for their sensitivity and understanding.” McElmurray was traveling with her family on the cruise at the time of the incident.
Princess Cruises is working alongside local and federal authorities in the ongoing investigation into the circumstances surrounding McElmurray’s death. A representative of the company expressed their deepest sympathies to McElmurray’s family and friends.
One Reddit user, who was a witness to the incident, shared their experience stating, “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.” The witness also shared that McElmurray hit several objects on her way down, causing distress to those who witnessed her fall. It was noted that someone tried to hold her by her arm for a few seconds before she jumped.
A study revealed that between 2000 and 2019, there were 623 reported deaths on cruise ships, with 89% being passengers. Of these incidents, 23% were falls overboard or onto lower decks, followed by suicide/murder/terror attacks at 19%, and cardiac incidents at 16%.
This incident is the second recent case involving Princess Cruises. In the previous case, in the beginning of December, a 72-year-old American man was suspected to have fallen overboard from the Ruby Princess during a five-day voyage to Mexico. After reviewing surveillance footage, officials launched a search operation involving Coast Guard planes and helicopters. The search has since been suspended. The Coast Guard started air searches in the Pacific Ocean approximately 45 miles from Monterey, California. The operation was paused at around 5:30 p.m. pending any updates, according to an email from Coast Guard Petty Officer Loumania Stewart sent Tuesday morning, December 3.
