A brawl appears to have broken out on a cruise after the body of a woman who fell overboard was located by the U.S. Coast Guard.
Video shared by Daily Mail shows passengers involved in a physical altercation on the MSC Meraviglia after they are prohibited from exiting the ship after it arrived back at Port Canaveral, where the ship was due to arrive after returning from the Bahamas, on Thursday (December 15) morning.
Multiple passengers were arrested by U.S. Customs and Border Protection in relation to the fight, which was broken up by crew members.
The woman who went overboard was found dead approximately 18 miles off Port Canaveral, the U.S. Coast Guard Southeast branch confirmed in a statement obtained by Click Orlando Thursday morning.
The branch identified the victim as a 36-year-old woman who was a passenger on the MSC Meraviglia, which is owned and operated by MSC Cruises.
“Early (Thursday) morning, MSC Meraviglia’s advanced detection systems alerted our crew to a passenger overboard while the ship was sailing to Port Canaveral," the statement read. "The crew performed an immediate search and rescue operation, alongside the US Coast Guard who supported search efforts with boats and a helicopter.
“Unfortunately, despite the rapid rescue operation, the passenger sustained fatal injuries. We are offering our full support to authorities as they investigate this matter.
“We are deeply saddened by this incident and offer our sincerest condolences to the family and those affected."
The branch confirmed that the cause of the incident is currently under investigation.