FBI investigating 'suspicious' death of Carnival cruise passenger

The Federal Bureau of Investigation's Columbia, South Carolina field office is investigating a "suspicious" death of a Carnival Cruise Line passenger, the office said.

The woman died on the line's Carnival Sunshine ship during a cruise to the Bahamas that departed from Charleston, South Carolina, on Feb. 27.

"Medical staff and other crew members of Carnival's Sunshine were made aware of the passenger being unresponsive and immediately attempted life-saving measures," a spokesperson for the Columbia field office said in an emailed statement. "Despite their efforts, the passenger was pronounced deceased on the ship."

FBI Evidence Response Team members responded to the ship after it returned to Charleston on Saturday to process the guest's room.

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"The FBI investigates certain crimes on the high seas, as well as suspicious deaths of U.S. persons," the statement continued. The guest's death was an isolated incident, and no other passengers were at risk.

The woman's body and her husband were debarked in Nassau, according to Carnival spokesperson Matt Lupoli.

"We are fully cooperating," Lupoli said in an emailed statement on Monday. The investigation is ongoing, the FBI's Columbia field office spokesperson said.

In a separate statement provided by Lupoli, the cruise line said Tuesday that all indications suggest the passenger died "a natural death due to a medical condition."

"We will defer to the FBI on any specific details which may possibly be released at a later date as we fully respect the investigative process, but our initial emergency medical response was appropriate and it appears that this was indeed a medical situation that sadly resulted in the death of a guest," the statement said.

Nathan Diller is a consumer travel reporter for USA TODAY based in Nashville. You can reach him at ndiller@usatoday.com.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: FBI investigating Carnival cruise passenger death