Teen Dies After Falling From Cruise Ship in Suspected Suicide

A 15-year-old boy fell from a balcony to his death on a cruise ship returning to Miami this past week in what authorities suspect was a suicide.

According to what the Miami-Dade Police Department told People, the unidentified teenager jumped from a high balcony on the MSC Cruise ship that had just completed a five-night trip in the Bahamas and Caribbean on Wednesday morning. The company shared a statement following the incident, saying that their entire staff was “heartbroken.” “The family remains in our thoughts and prayers,” the company told People. “Out of respect for the family’s privacy, we will not be discussing any additional details.”

An unnamed passenger aboard the ship also told the outlet that the cruise was alerted via the intercom that there was a “man overboard on the port side” after the teen plunged to his death from the balcony and landed on the deck below.

“We just had 3 emergency blasts following captain’s announcement ‘Man Overboard,’” they said. “People started running to the sides to investigate what happen, although it’s nighttime.”

The passenger went on to explain that the crew directed everyone to stay in their rooms until told otherwise while they figured out what happened.

“A crew member came to our cabin and instructed us to close the balcony door and draw the blinds,” they continued. “Police will board tomorrow when we return to Miami to investigate this tragic event.”

The identity of the victim or the family has not been revealed at this time.