Sky Princess passenger who fell to her death on Caribbean cruise is seen boarding ship in haunting final photo
The American tourist who died on a cruise ship is pictured laughing as she excitedly boarded the boat with her mother a few days earlier.
Elizabeth McElmurray, 48, was named by devastated relatives who are still trying to come to terms with her death.
She died on December 21 aboard the Sky Princess as it returned to Florida from the Caribbean.
Although the circumstances surrounding her death remain unclear, Princess Cruises says she fell while trying to “jump” into the water and accidentally landed on one of the cruise ship’s decks.
On December 15, McElmurray shared a photo of herself smiling next to her mother as they boarded the ship in Fort Lauderdale.
They left to scatter the ashes of her mother’s husband on his favorite beach in Jamaica.
‘I never expected to lose my daughter. “I would also like to publicly thank the crew for their kindness and compassion during this ordeal,” her devastated mother said in an online tribute.
McElmurray’s younger brother paid tribute in another post.
“She was a wonderful woman who loved her family,” he said.
Elizabeth McElmurray, 48, who died from a cruise ship during a Christmas tour of the Caribbean, is pictured smiling as she excitedly boarded the boat with her mother a few days earlier. (McElmurray is pictured left, with her mother, Ellen Downie Mathews, right)
McElmurray, 48, was named by devastated family members who are still trying to come to terms with her death. It remains unclear what exactly caused her to fall off the Sky Princess ship
‘Her caring nature for animals was a wonderful quality we shared together. I would like to thank everyone who tried to help her and everyone’s kind words.
‘This is a loss that is so heavy. Don’t forget to tell your family and friends that you love them, make them smile and even laugh when life is difficult. Find beauty whenever you can, and strength will follow.”
According to social media profiles, McElmurray was a manager at retailer Circle K. She was born in Nashua, New Hampshire, and lived in Wakefield, Massachusetts.
Passengers on board told DailyMail.com that the captain made the devastating announcement over loudspeakers on Saturday that McElmurray had died.
They told DailyMail.com that she had tried to jump into the water from one of the upper decks but instead hit a lifeboat deck about ten floors below. Later that day, police were seen combing the cruise ship.
The ship was returning to Fort Lauderdale, Florida, after an eight-day voyage to Cozumel, Mexico; Ocho Rios, Jamaica; George Town, Grand Cayman; and at the time the cruise line’s private resort in the Bahamas, Princess Cays.
“Princess Cruises is deeply saddened to confirm the death of a 48-year-old American female guest who attempted to jump overboard aboard Sky Princess earlier today,” the operator told DailyMail.com in a statement.
‘The guest fell to a lower deck, where she was promptly rescued. The ship’s crew immediately provided emergency medical care, but despite their efforts she could not be revived.
“Our sincere condolences go out to the guest’s family and friends at this extremely difficult time. Support services are offered to guests and crew affected by this event.
Cruise officials said the woman tried to jump and fell to a lower deck, where she was pronounced dead
McElmurray’s younger brother, Mac DeLuca McElmurray, confirmed she was the passenger who died aboard the Sky Princess ship on Saturday, sharing the above photo
McElmurray (pictured) was a manager at retailer Circle K, according to her social media profiles. She was born in Nashua, New Hampshire, and lived in Wakefield, Massachusetts
“Princess Cruises is cooperating fully with local and federal authorities as they investigate the circumstances surrounding the incident.
“Sky Princess remains on track to arrive in Fort Lauderdale from Cozumel tomorrow, Sunday, December 22, following a seven-day tour of the Western Caribbean that began on December 15. The ship is expected to depart on the next eastern Caribbean voyage. Sailing later tomorrow.’
News of the woman’s death first spread on social media, with another passenger posting in a Facebook group that a “tragic incident” had occurred on board the ship.
One woman shared a video on TikTok of the captain’s announcement about the passenger’s death.
“We understand that this event may be distressing for many of you,” the captain said, before warning passengers that grief counseling services would be made available to them.
Others too shared their experiences on Princess Cruise’s Reddit page.
According to Cruise Radio, there have been 18 man-overboard incidents on cruise ships in 2024, including McElmurray.