MAIB Probes Arvia Crew Death in Passenger Elevator Test

The U.K. Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) has issued an interim report into the death of a P&O Cruises crew member aboard Arvia after an electrical technician was fatally crushed during passenger elevator testing on Oct. 26, 2025.

The incident happened while the Bermuda-registered ship was sailing from Southampton, England, toward Santa Cruz de Tenerife in Spain’s Canary Islands. MAIB said it is conducting the safety investigation on behalf of the Bermuda Shipping and Maritime Authority and cautioned that the circumstances described in the interim document could change if new evidence emerges.

Voyage context and diversion to A Coruña

MAIB said the incident occurred two days into a transatlantic repositioning sailing. Arvia departed Southampton on Oct. 24 for a voyage scheduled to end in Bridgetown, Barbados, after calling in the Canary Islands.

After the onboard emergency, Arvia diverted to A Coruña, Spain, where local emergency services met the vessel and recovered the crew member’s body. The Port of A Coruña later wrote on X (in a translated post) that the ship called following “a workplace accident involving a deceased crew member,” and that it remained alongside from about 3 p.m. until later that night before continuing toward Tenerife.

What the interim report says happened during elevator testing

According to MAIB’s interim findings, an electrical technician and the ship’s staff electro-technical officer (SETO) were conducting checks on a passenger elevator in the early hours of Oct. 26 after repairs carried out overnight. The elevator was positioned at deck 11 while testing was performed from inside the car.

MAIB said the technician then left the car to examine the top of the elevator from upper decks. After traveling up to deck 12, he attempted to open the elevator shaft doors to access the shaft area above the car, but encountered a problem with the door release key mechanism. He then continued to deck 14, where MAIB said he was able to open the shaft doors. MAIB noted that Arvia does not have a deck 13.

Chain of door closures and automatic reactivation

MAIB described a sequence in which the elevator became capable of movement again after doors closed and safety interlocks were restored. As the SETO exited the elevator car on deck 11 with the intention of joining the technician on deck 14, MAIB said the elevator car doors and the shaft doors at deck 11 closed automatically.

Around the same time, MAIB reported that the technician entered the elevator shaft from deck 14 and the shaft doors closed behind him. With the interlocks restored once the doors shut, a stored call signal then prompted the elevator to travel upward, MAIB said, crushing the technician between the moving elevator car and the shaft wall.

Emergency response timeline and pending cause of death

MAIB documented that the maintenance test began at about 5:52 a.m. UTC. A medical emergency was declared at approximately 6:02 a.m., and the ship’s doctor pronounced the technician dead at around 6:07 a.m. UTC.

MAIB said the official cause of death had not been confirmed at the time of the interim report, pending a postmortem report.

What investigators are examining next

The interim report indicates investigators are examining both technical conditions and operational safeguards connected to the elevator’s behavior, including equipment defects and the procedures used during testing and access to the elevator shaft.

In outlining the purpose of its work, MAIB emphasized that the investigation is directed at improving safety rather than assigning fault. The agency stated: “The sole objective of a safety investigation into an accident under there regulations shall be the prevention of future accidents through the ascertainment of its causes and circumstances.”

P&O Cruises statement and ship details

P&O Cruises, part of Carnival Corporation, confirmed the death of a crew member the day after the incident without releasing the individual’s name. In a statement, the cruise line said, “Our thoughts and prayers are with their family and friends both on board and at home,” adding that it was “providing every possible support to them.”

Arvia entered service in 2022 and is one of the largest ships in P&O Cruises’ fleet. MAIB said that at the time of the incident the ship was carrying more than 5,000 passengers and about 1,600 crew members.

Elevator maintenance risks in the cruise industry

Elevator systems on large passenger ships operate across many decks and serve thousands of passengers and crew, and MAIB’s report notes the heightened hazards associated with maintenance, access, or testing conditions compared with routine use.

The interim report also referenced a similar fatal incident in 2015 on Carnival Cruise Line’s Carnival Ecstasy, when a crew member was pinned between an elevator car and the shaft wall while working on the system while the ship was in port in Florida.

MAIB said its investigation into the Arvia fatality remains open, with additional findings expected after further technical examination and the completion of the postmortem process.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What caused the elevator to reactivate?

MAIB’s interim report describes the elevator becoming capable of movement again after doors closed and safety interlocks were restored, followed by a stored call signal that prompted the elevator to travel upward.

Who is leading the investigation?

MAIB is conducting the safety investigation on behalf of the Bermuda Shipping and Maritime Authority because Arvia is Bermuda-registered.

Why did Arvia divert to A Coruña, Spain?

After the onboard medical emergency and death, Arvia diverted to A Coruña so local emergency services could meet the ship and recover the crew member’s body.

What was the crew member doing at the time?

MAIB said the electrical technician was checking a passenger elevator after overnight repairs, left the elevator car at deck 11 to inspect from upper decks, and entered the elevator shaft from deck 14 to access the area above the car.

Is the investigation complete?

No. MAIB has released an interim report and said the investigation remains ongoing, with the official cause of death pending a postmortem report at the time of the interim publication.