Passenger Dies After Balcony Fall on Norwegian Getaway
The cruise had called at Nassau and Great Stirrup Cay before the fall; Norwegian Getaway arrived in Miami as planned Monday and sailed again that afternoon.
A passenger died after going over a stateroom balcony and falling onto a lower exterior deck of Norwegian Getaway late Sunday, Aug. 23, during the final night of a three-night Bahamas cruise from Miami.
Detectives from the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office Homicide Bureau are handling the case as an unclassified death investigation.
“While our crew acted immediately to provide life sustaining measures, the guest did not survive,” Norwegian Cruise Line said in a statement provided Aug. 25. The company also extended condolences to the passenger’s family.
What is known about the fall
The incident occurred between 11 p.m. and midnight as Norwegian Getaway sailed toward Florida after calls at Nassau and Great Stirrup Cay. The cruise had departed PortMiami on Friday, Aug. 21.
A passenger account posted online said an emergency announcement was made over the ship’s public-address system. Norwegian Cruise Line confirmed that the passenger went over a balcony and landed on a lower deck but did not identify the stateroom deck or the location where he landed.
Online accounts gave conflicting deck numbers and included unverified claims about events before the fall. Neither the cruise line nor investigators have confirmed those details. NCL did not provide passengers with a detailed public account before disembarkation.
Getaway kept its Miami schedule
The fatality did not delay Norwegian Getaway. The ship arrived in Miami as planned on Monday, Aug. 24, before leaving that afternoon for a four-night Bahamas itinerary.
Miami-Dade investigation continues
The Homicide Bureau’s description of the case as an unclassified death investigation does not establish the circumstances preceding the fall. The passenger’s identity has not been released, and investigators have not announced a cause or manner of death.
Balcony barriers aboard cruise ships must be at least one meter high. Authorities have not released findings about how the passenger crossed the railing or whether any aspect of the balcony was relevant to the incident.
